Call for more foster carers

Minister for Family and Social Solidarity Dolores Cristina made an appeal yesterday for more families to become foster carers, saying fostering was one of the nicest things that could be done to give vulnerable youngsters the opportunity to be brought up in a family environment.

Fostering, she said, gave children who for various reasons could not be looked after by their natural families, the chance to reach their full potential.

Ms Cristina was speaking during the opening of a four-day international conference on foster care entitled "Developing foster care for children and families in the European Union, Central and Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States and North Africa - New challenges, quality standards and solutions".

The aim of the conference, held at the Radisson SAS Golden Sands, is to tackle the various aspects of foster care and explore new fostering strategies in participating countries.

The conference kicked off two days after Malta's first Fostering Board, Board of Appeal and the central authority were set up on the strength of the recently introduced Foster Care Act.

The concept of foster care was developed by Agenzija Appogg about 10 years ago. In 1999 a procedural manual was drawn up to offer guidelines on the subject. Since then foster care has evolved so that, whereas before it was a service run by one individual, today it was operated by a team of seven full-time and two part-time social workers as well as another two people who take care of the children's support group.

Today there are over 140 foster families and over 150 children in foster care which is a great improvement compared to 1996 when 28 children were fostered.

The international conference is organised by the International Foster Care Organisation and Appogg in collaboration with the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity and the National Foster Care Association Malta.

For more information about fostering services provided by Appogg one can call support line 179, or 2295 9000, or visit www.appogg.gov.mt.