Updated with comments by ministry spokesman
The Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family said today that the YMCA had not produced audited accounts for 2009, despite repeated requests, and professionals from government agencies had expressed concerns about the quality of care of children under its care.
The ministry was replying to complaints about the YMCA which said that the government had witheld funds promised to it.
A ministry spokesmen also denied that funds had been withheld to the YMCA.
"In fact we paid the funds to YMCA this year. They are claiming that they need more but since this is public money we are asking for audited accounts to verify their claims," the spokesman said.
The ministry, in a statement issued earlier, said that over the past months it had been in talks with the YMCA so as to ensure that its projects were sustainable.
The ministry said it had been requesting a copy of the audited accounts for 2009 and even offered professional assistants for the accounts to be drawn up.
Yet to date the ministry had not only not been given a copy of the audited accounts, but it did not know if they had been drawn up.
Furthermore, over the past few months, professionals within Appogg and the Consultative Board on Children and Youths had expressed concerns on the quality of care being given to minors by the YMCA. They expressed reservations about the environment and programmes which the children were following.
At the last meeting, a month ago, the YMCA expressed concerns that it would not have enough funds for the rest of this year. The organisation was to inform the ministry of what action it would take for its programmes to be sustainable. Yet no report had been submitted and the ministry therefore started to make alternative arrangements for the housing of the children.
In a press conference earlier today, the YMCA launched an urgent appeal for funds amid fears that it may have to close down money promised to it by the government had not materialised.
YMCA chairman Jean Paul Mifsud told a press conference that the government last year committed itself to fund a quarter of the YMCA's running costs of €500,000, but had fallen short by €94,000.
The YMCA currently provides shelter for six teenagers, but one was recently transferred to Appogg. The organisation also provides a shelter for homeless adults.
"The children have been receiving phone calls where they are told that they will all be given alternative accommodation by the government," Mr Mifsud said, adding that this was being done without the YMCA consent. Most of the children are under Care Orders - meaning that their welfare is the responsibility of the minister responsible for social policy.
Many of these children, he said, had difficult backgrounds - two were briefly imprisoned despite their young age - and they had been rejected by other Homes. The YMCA, however had a policy of not rejecting anyone, he said, but the children now felt they had an uncertain future.
"I suspect that some people are not comfortable with the zeal with which the YMCA works," Mr Mifsud said.
"We are not perfect, but we understand that these children need a lot of work, respect and love," he said, adding that some services offered by other institutions were not adapted for the behaviour of such troubled youngsters.
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REACTION TO MINISTRY STATEMENT
Mr Mifsud in a reaction to the ministry's statement said that the government had been informed that the accounts would be a month late this year because of a new specialised system being implemented. They would be published at the end of October.
He added that the government had been informed that the shelter would not be closed and the YMCA would seek alternative funding through private sponsors. Therefore, he said, the ministry "should not have sought alternative accommodation behind YMCA’s back."
Mr Mifsud added that YMCA had often asked the government to conduct psychological assessments on the children and provide various kinds of assistance, but most of its requests were ignored.