I refer to the comment made by the chief executive of the Foundation For Social Welfare Services, Sina Bugeja, that care orders need to change to offer better protection to children.

While in principle I agree, it is also true that she must be careful not to create the stigma that parents of low IQ have no right to be with their children. Some care orders are being issued haphazardly because Appoġġ has no resources to provide skills to the parents of such children. The recommendations that were made by the director for Social Welfare Standards regarding sessions on improving parenting skills and psychological assessments are not being followed by Appoġġ or by the director who makes such recommendations.

Most often there is no way one can impugn a care order and there is no right of appeal from the decision of the Juvenile Court enforcing such care order. The parents are not informed about the case review and during the case review they are not allowed to be present when the social workers of Appoġġ testify before the board. In a nutshell, let us not work to deprive children of their parents but to provide them with a better home with their parents. Care orders must only be resorted to when, notwithstanding the skills provided, the parent or parents refuse to improve.