Aġenzija Appoġġ refers to the article Home Sweet Home… Away From Home (December 9) and would like to make some clarifications.

In her interview with The Times, Sister Bernardette Galea mentions that “she believes that government care orders, whereby the state takes responsibility of them, may not always be in their (children’s) best interest”. A care order is issued when children and adolescents under 16 years of age need immediate care and protection, including all reports of child abuse. When social workers detect signs and symptoms of abuse, the family and child receive the necessary assistance to improve their current situation. If the family situation does not improve, Appoġġ recommends that in the best interest of the child, proceedings for a care order are to be initiated. Such orders are issued as a last resort.

Moreover, there are also instances where the police are alerted regarding an urgent case, and the child’s parents/carers may also be subject to criminal proceedings. If the agency sees it as necessary, the police also alerts the magistrate, so that a court order is issued for 24 hours to protect the minor, depending on the gravity of the situation.

Aġenzija Appoġġ’s goal is to offer all children a family-friendly environment in cases where the family of origin fails to do so. Therefore, Appoġġ seeks to offer a family environment to ensure such care. This is being done through the fostering service, adoption service and the recently launched out-of-home care programme. In addition, one of the main aims of the out-of-home care programme is to enhance the already existing positive relationship the agency has with children’s homes, thus assisting them to be in a better position to meet the children’s requirements when they avail of a residential placement.

There are cases where it would be in the child’s best interest to live in a residential setting. Reasons for this include the wish of the child not to live with another family because he/she is still very loyal to the natural family, behavioural difficulties which the child might have which make it difficult for him/her to live within a family environment and the child feeling more comfortable living in a group environment, among others.

Aġenzija Appoġġ believes that children’s homes try their best to provide a good quality service and Appoġġ itself has been providing its input through a high-level support service for a number of years. However, due to various changes in the field, the out-of-home care programme will be providing more specialised support to these institutions in their service delivery. It is augured that further collaboration between the Church’s residential homes and Aġenzija Appoġġ will continue in the best interests of the children.

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