A national centre is being set up to simplify bureaucracy when dealing with issues relating to adoption and fostering, Social Solidarity Minister Michael Farrugia said today.

He was speaking during the launch, for public consultation, of a policy document on positive parenting.

Dr Farrugia said the policy was intended to remove a lot of the red tape relating to adoption and fostering, simplifying the process and bringing together under one act a number of laws relating to children.

Angela Abela from the Centre of Social Studies, explained that this policy, which was an electoral promise, aimed to help parents and all involved in the upbringing of children by providing support. Services which already existed would be strengthened. The policy also focused on grandparents who were bringing up children.

Another aim was to strengthen support for children involved in cases in the family court. It aimed to help break the vicious cycle whereby children from vulnerable families would not fall into same trap as their parents, such as spending their life unemployed and on social benefits.

As many of the services which were already in existence fell under different ministries, these would be streamlined and would become the responsibility of a task force that would be set up in January.

The document will be available on the Social Solidarity Ministry website shortly. Comments and suggestions may be sent to positiveparentingpolicy@gov.mt by end of the year.