The government will be strengthening children and family structures in the next few days with the setting up of a National Commission for Children’s Strategy and Policy and a National Forum for the Family.

Family Minister Marie Louise Coleiro Preca told a news conference this morning that the National Commission for Children’s Strategy would consult the university and the family and social affairs parliamentary committees and propose strategies and policies to the ministry.

The ministry would then seek the advice and recommendations on social impact from the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development. The Foundation for Social Welfare Services would be the implementing body.

The minister said that when it came to the family there was already a National Commission for the Family, which recommended policies.

The government would, however set up national forum for the family which would hold public meetings where families would be able to propose strategies.

Notary Coleiro Preca said that in the following weeks, the ministry would also further empower the Children’s Commissioner to give children a stronger voice.

She said that, in the past weeks, the government evaluated existing structures and entities and realised that coordination was lacking.

She said that there were other worrying indications such as an increase in child poverty, which, according to Eurostat had reached 25.8 per cent in December. Moreover, there were 88,000 people at risk of poverty and the number of children in out of home care had doubled in recent years.