Children in out-of-home care in Malta : key findings from a series of three studies commissioned by the Office of the Commissioner for Children

Abstract

There is more than one reason why we should be pleased with the research that is summarily described in this publication. One such reason is that this work illustrates the principle that all efforts that are made towards bettering the situation of children should rest on a solid foundation of scientific research. In this respect, this tripartite piece of research is valid in that it replaces anecdotal evidence regarding out-of-home care for children in Malta with a well-rounded body of scientific facts. This means that the recommendations that are made in this report can be more easily understood and subscribed to when they are read in the light of the findings that are presented. Another important element about this research is that it evaluates the outcome of out-of-home care solely in terms of the well-being of the children in care. This is important in view of the need to make out-of-home care in Malta more child-centred and less service-driven and ultimately more respectful of the rights of children. This research studies the entire cohort of its target group of children and it underlines the principle enunciated in Article 2 of the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child, namely that the rights of children should be enjoyed by all children without discrimination, and that any disparity among children in the enjoyment of their rights is a matter of grave injustice. Finally, it is the very subject-matter that highlights so prominently the importance of this research. The right of the child to be cared for in a social environment that is conducive to its well-being is easily the most fundamental of all the rights of the child since it is through such an environment that a child can acquire the emotional and psychological stability that is necessary to the enjoyment of almost any other right. Children thus are vulnerable because their overall well-being hinges on whether such an enabling environment is available to them. Children in out-of-home care are doubly vulnerable because of the disruptions in their natural family milieu and the difficulty in providing them with an alternative arrangement that can make up for the lack of such milieu. This research should not be seen in isolation but in the context of local policy developments in the field of out-of-home care. In this respect, I would like to mention and applaud the strong investment that has been made in recent years to shift the balance of out-of-home care from residential care to foster care, the importance of which is strongly borne out by the findings of this research. This should in no way reflect badly on the care given by religious institutions. Rather it should be seen as a development that recognizes the fact that children’s needs are best met in a family enviroment. We are also at a time where a much needed national strategy for out-of-home care is being formulated to map out the road ahead in this sector. I am confident that this research will provide a useful compass to chart such a roadmap. I cannot conclude without paying thanks to Ms Carmen Zammit, the former Commissioner for Children, who took the visionary step of commissioning the research. Heartfelt thanks are due also to the research team, led by Professor Angela Abela, to the focus groups which helped set the parameters of this research and to the the staff of the Office of the Commissioner for Children for their untiring logisitcal support. Finally, my sincere thanks goes to all the children who at the time were in care, those who had already left the care system but were ready to share their experiences as well as the carers, social workers and teachers whose participation forms the very core of this research. The only way that justice can be made to their selfless efforts is by ensuring that this research is effectively used as a tool to improve the well-being of all children in care, and that further research is carried out, as suggested in the research report, to shed more light on the reality of out-of-home care in Malta.