Services for children needing out-of-home care are in place but children are not getting “the best deal” from them, Commissioner for Children Pauline Miceli has warned.
Speaking to this newspaper, Ms Miceli said she was concerned that there are not enough foster parents to cater for the demand of children requiring care.
The situation of fostering is in direct contrast with that of adoptions, where the number of couples wishing to adopt outweighs the number of children available.
“Research shows that children in foster families fare better than those in homes or institutions. Some 21 children are taken into care each year. If there are no families, what will happen?
“And where will we place young adults? Sixteen-year-olds are not children, but if they are undergoing severe problems with their families, where will they stay? We need to strengthen the sector,” Ms Miceli said.
Some 21 children are taken into care each year. If there are no families, what will happen?
Children end up caught between their birth parents and their foster parents, as both sides are often possessive.
“If you take care of a child, you bond with that child. When a child stays with a foster family for a considerable period of time, it is not always in the best interest of that child to be removed from a foster care family, as this can confuse him or her.
“Even our own natural children do not belong to us – we are there as their caretakers and to safeguard their rights.”
The friction between birth parents and foster parents often extends to the issue of child access. Some birth parents, Ms Miceli said, did not allow their children to see their foster parents. Some even deprived them of speaking to them.
This was heartbreaking for the child, who would have loved the foster parents and extended family members such as cousins.
There was not enough synergy between the different types of services available for children. They needed to work faster and much more efficiently, Ms Miceli said.
The commissioner also called upon the government to set up an ombudsman for children. The Office of the Commissioner for Children did not have the legal personality to investigate cases and take decisions, she said.
The office has already proposed setting up an individual complaints mechanism which would give the office more legal standing and competence, as well as providing it with the resources to carry out its duty.
“We do get complaints but we can’t do much about it. Sometimes, distraught parents present us with situations where their 16-year-old daughter has run away from home and is living with her boyfriend.
“We try to mediate between the two parties.
“But some are resolute and do not want to go back home. However, if anything happens to the girl – if, for instance, she does not take her medication, the parents are ultimately responsible,” Ms Miceli said.