Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1372546
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 MAY 2021 OPINION OUR community evolves through one generation to the next. This is the natural order of life. To maintain this, it is vital that we leave a legacy to future gen- erations, making sure that they will live in a healthier, happier society. One where all institu- tions work in harmony for the good of everyone, including our children. Ultimately this responsibility falls upon us. Children are very dear to me. Not only as a mother, but also as an educator. And my experi- ences of working with children have had a significant impact on the way I perceive life. Our chil- dren are our future, the future of a healthier and just society. But are we really investing in a better future? Some experiences I have been through are alarmingly worry- ing. A case in point is a girl I came across in a primary school. On a Monday morning, this girl arrived at school with a filthy uniform, hungry and neglect- ed, with barely anything to eat. Sometimes there would be just a piece of plain bread – often stale, having been left in her school bag all weekend. Clearly in this situation, serious pro- gress with her schoolwork was impossible. Such circumstances led to re- porting the case to social ser- vices. The aim of reporting was to safeguard and protect this vulnerable child. However very sadly, as far as I know, the girl is still going home to the same cir- cumstances as before, because the supporting agency cannot find an adequate placement to protect this child. School staff have done their very best for the child, washing her uniform and making sure she had something to eat. But despite their best efforts the girl's situation remains funda- mentally the same. It is a fact that schools are great at picking up similar cases from an early stage. But identi- fying a problem is only the first step in solving it. The pandemic has been a time where high risk children have been at their most vulnerable and have needed the most pro- tection. Due to the shutdown of schools, professionals who work closely with schools were unable to identify, monitor and intervene to help these children. It was very challenging to follow up these vulnerable children. As a result, many have had to suffer in silence. This girl in particular is still living at her original home since no placement was found. Even if they remain in their fami- ly homes, vulnerable children who are placed under the care of supporting agencies tend to stay in this system until they are eighteen years of age. How are we going to ensure that these support systems to function properly? How can we protect these vulnerable children and enable them to thrive? Very recently, the Mandato- ry Report for the Protection of Minors was published. It states that it is in the best interest of all for professionals who work with children such as social workers, educators and psy- chologists and others to report similar cases. It is now the professionals' ob- ligation to do so. If not, they can be fined or even send to prison. The right to report is certainly a step forward and a very posi- tive one, and the impact of these measures has already resulted in a rise in the number of report- ed cases. On the other hand this has created a bottleneck in the system. The Directorate for the Protection of Minors lacks hu- man resources. As a result, it is currently employing individuals who are not professionals in this field in order to try to step up the processing of these cases. Children deserve our best not just whatever is convenient. The government has yet to address these issues with con- crete proposals and solutions. It needs to come up with fairer and more effective ways to safe- guard the vulnerability of such children. However, identifying and pro- tecting these children is only the first step. Looking at the larger picture, how can we develop better opportunities for these children? What else can we of- fer them? How can we do this fairly? What is the best solution? One highly effective way to help these children is for them to be fostered long term in sta- ble families and supported by professionals. In 2019, Malta had 244 children in foster care. 1 in every 2000 families in Malta serve as foster families for these children. Fostering is in many ways an ideal solution, minimis- ing the risk for these children while giving them an opportu- nity to experience a better, fair- er and more just life. As a soci- ety we would all benefit from giving these children the best possible start in life. Yet place- ments are still in short supply, leaving children in unsuitable and neglectful home situations. Vulnerable children need re- spect and dignity as well as protection. They are not to blame for their circumstances. They deserve the best possible chance to undo the harms they have experienced and to have a happy, productive life. Foster- ing could be the way forward for these children, giving them the opportunity for a brighter future. We need to encourage more families to serve as foster families. Giving these children the opportunity for a brighter future would be a wonderful legacy for us to hand on to the next generations. Julie Zahra is an educator and is a PN candidate Julie Zahra A fair chance for our children: investing in the future