Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544021
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 MARCH 2026 NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 However, she insists it is only the court that has the power to issue an interim and long-term care orders. Care orders are intended to protect children at risk of signif- icant harm by placing them in safer arrangements. Official figures show that 508 children and young people cur- rently live in alternative care. The number has remained broadly stable over recent years. Of these, 375 are under the age of 18. The figures show that 199 un- der-18s, or 53%, are in foster care, while 129 are in residential care, 43 in community homes, and the remainder in other placements. Grech says that of the 129 children in residential care, she could identify "tens of them", who would benefit from a foster placement. One barrier to re- cruitment is the fear among prospective carers of becom- ing attached to a child who is later r e t u r n e d to their b i o l o g i - cal fam- ily. Grech says this is managed through a structured transition plans and no child is ever re- moved abruptly. She also cautions that love alone is not enough. Foster car- ers need to understand that the children coming to them have passed through a trauma. Trauma-informed parenting, she says is essential, because the "brains of children who have ex- perienced abuse are wired differ- ently". "You will have children who, for something very small, will have a huge tantrum; others who start bedwetting again," Grech says. "Sometimes it's not because something is happening. It's because they are in a safe environment for them to start exhibiting this behaviour." The directorate now runs 11 com- munity homes, small apartments or houses in resi- dential areas, that house around four to five c h i l d r e n each, as part of a b r o a d - er move away from large institutional set- tings. "We make sure that each and every young person has a care plan," Grech says. But the sup- port does not end abruptly when a child turns 18. "We assist them in whatever they need," she adds. There are currently 54 young people aged between 18 and 21 receiving aftercare support—28 in foster care and 26 in residen- tial or community homes. Grech says staff members re- main in contact with young peo- ple even after they formally leave the system, while referring those who struggle with mental health issues or independent living, to other organisations for assisted living support. The directorate also works with the Housing Authority to help young adults access schemes for first-time residents and encour- ages them to pursue education or part-time employment before transitioning out. "We calculate that normally by the age of 21, they would have finished their studies, and they would then transition into inde- pendent living," Grech says. "We support them a lot." Some, she adds, choose to re- turn to their biological families upon turning 18. "There are some 18-year-olds who tell us, 'it is now time for me to go back and live with my family' and we will definitely respect that. But they know that we are here for them." 'Trauma-informed parenting, is essential', Foundation for Social Welfare Services director explains Drawings done by foster care children (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)