LET ME
THRIVE
A Research Study on
Foster Care in Malta
LET ME THRIVE
A Research Study on Foster Care in Malta
Daniela DeBono Marian Muscat Azzopardi
Table of Contents
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMISSIONER
8
PREFACE
10
AUTHORS’ BIOGRAPHIES
11
GLOSSARY
12
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
14
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING THE STUDY
19
1.1 Rationale 19 1.2 Theoretical framework: a children’s rights-based approach to research 20 1.3 Research methodology: a child-centred qualitative approach 25 1.4 Data analysis 30 1.5 Challenges encountered 31 1.7 The choice of terminology 33 1.8 Ethics 33 1.9 Limitations of the study 36
CHAPTER 3: “I WOULD LIKE YOU TO WRITE THIS DOWN”: THE
CHILDREN’S VOICES, THE HETEROGENEITY OF THE CASES AND THEIR
ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SYSTEM
50
3.1 Detailed case studies 50 3.2 Issues as brought up by the children themselves 62 3.3 The children’s recommendations 89 3.4 Concluding remarks 94
CHAPTER 4: THE ADULT STAKEHOLDERS POINT OF VIEW: ADDRESSING
THE NEEDS OF A PROFESSIONAL CHILD-CENTRED SERVICE
98
4.1 Question one: factors that contribute to meet the holistic needs of the fostered child 98 4.2 What is not working as well as desired? 111 4.3 Other recommendations 137 4.4 Concluding remarks 137
CHAPTER 5: OVERALL CONCLUSIONS
139
CHAPTER 6: THE COMMISSIONER’S RECOMMENDATIONS
149
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMISSIONER
situation of children in out-of-home care, whether under a care order, court order or on a voluntary basis
AUTHORS BIOGRAPHIES:
Dr Daniela DeBono
GLOSSARY
Accredited Agency Advisory Board Aftercare Birth parents Board of AppealIndividual Care Plan
Case Conference
Case Review
Central Authority Child
Child Protection (Out of Home Care) Bill 2014
Cross-border foster care
European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
Foster Care Act
Foster Care Agreement
Foster Care placement
Foster Care Team Foster Carer/s Fostering Board
UN Guidelines for the
Alternative Care of Children (Guidelines)
Looked-After Children (LAC) Service
Migrant children Out-of-home child care
Timely support and monitoring of the birth family
Increasing the resources of welfare agencies
Establishing judicial review
The best interests of the child
Non-discrimination: migrant children and children in trouble with the law
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING THE STUDY
3. 1. 2. 3. a) b) c) d) 4. 5. a) b) 6. a) b)
Chart 1: Number of People Interviewed Separated by Gender
Code Type of interviewee Male Female Number of interviewees
AAW
A C3
1.5 Challenges encountered
1.7 The Choice of terminology
CHAPTER 2: THE MALTESE CONTEXT
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Statistical data
Table 1: Age of fostered children in 2015
Year of Birth Age No of children
Table 3: Age that children at the Foster Care Unit were taken into care
Table 4: Age that children at the Specialised Home-Based Care Unit were taken into care
Table 5: Period of time that fostered children in 2015 have been in foster care
Table 6: Period of time that fostered children in 2015 have been in specialised foster care
Table 7: Age children are taken into care
2.3 A brief glance at the main landmarks leading to the development of the foster care services
2.4 The Maltese legal framework and out-of-home care a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h)
a) b) c) d) e) f) a) b) c) d) e)
g) h) i) j) k) l) m) n) o) a) b) c) d)
e) 27 a) b) c) d) e)
f) g) h) a) b) (i) (ii) a) b)
a) b) c) d) e) f)
a) b)
c)
CHAPTER 3: “I WOULD LIKE YOU TO WRITE THIS DOWN”: THE
CHILDREN’S VOICES, THE HETEROGENEITY OF THE CASES AND
THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SYSTEM
ii.
“
i. ii. iii. iv. v. i.
CHAPTER 4: THE ADULT STAKEHOLDERS POINT OF VIEW:
ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF A PROFESSIONAL CHILD-CENTRED
SERVICE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
o o o
o
o
4.3 Other recommendations
CHAPTER 5: OVERALL CONCLUSIONS
The best interests of the child
Behaviour management
Reduction of social stigma
CHAPTER 6: THE COMMISSIONER’S RECOMMENDATIONS
Permanency planning o o o o oAdequate budget allocations o o o o o o o
The voice of the child
o o o o
Non-discrimination
Appointed Boards and Central Authority
