The development of foster care within the Maltese Islands : understanding the local scenario

Abstract

This paper outlines the developments of foster care within the Maltese Islands. Fostering originally developed informally. Prior to the introduction of residential care, children who needed care were mostly looked after by the extended family. However, at the turn of the twentieth century, residential services emerged and came to dominate the child-care sphere. Foster care in Malta was formally recognized only recently following the professionalization of social welfare services and the recognition of foster care as an individualized service to children. A legal framework regulating fostering services was first enacted at the end of 2007. This paper reflects on such developments and documents how fostering has evolved in Malta from the turn of the twentieth century.