Children in Malta have been missing a voice for decades, so put aside the status quo and become reformists, Family Minister Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca told a group of law students yesterday.
Visibly emotional, Ms Coleiro Preca thanked the students who had just announced the launch of an NGO set up to voice children’s concerns.
A representative of the NGO and law student Anthea Turner told those present for a discussion about the Children’s Act that sometimes there was no cohesion between the different national family and children’s boards and commissions.
The NGO will be a bridge between these boards and set up an information database for families and children.
Ms Turner was speaking at the end of a meeting where the boards and commissions had given their reaction to the students’ recommendations presented to Ms Coleiro Preca in January, whose ministry is in the process of drawing up a Children’s Act and policy.
These are very delicate situations as these children have already gone through a lot
The students called for the automatic appointment of a child advocate during separation proceedings.
Elaine Micallef, from the National Commission for the Development of a Strategy and Policy for Children, said the commission was proposing the automatic allocation of a child advocate and making sure children were aware of what was going on during the proceedings.
It was also suggesting that in some cases parents should be ordered to undergo treatment or skills training, or else, instead of removing the child from their parents’ house, they were supervised by an agency.
Other suggestions included freeing up children for adoption and ‘open adoptions’, where the children remained in touch with their biological parents.
Also, migrant children should be placed in residential assessment centres instead of detention centres, where their psycho-social and health needs are assessed.
Referring to irregular migrant children, Joseph Abela, from the National Forum for the Family, said these children were still being imprisoned upon arrival.
“We are uncomfortable speaking about this group of children, and there should be someone who speaks about their sufferings and voices their concerns,” he said.
Joe Camilleri, chairman of the National Commission for Disabled People, said the only difference between children with and without a disability was that they needed different support and tools to communicate.
Another speaker at the discussion was Carmen Fearne, who chairs the Children and Young Persons Advisory Board.
She said children under care orders were the ones who suffered the most. Torn between their parents and fosterers, they were sometimes moved from family to family within a short span of time.
“What do you tell a 10-year-old who wants to remain with his mother who is still dealing with prostitution and drug problems?
“After explaining the situation to him, he told me: today you will not let me stay with her, but when I turn 18, I will return to live with her. These are very delicate situations as these children have already gone through a lot,” she said.