Caring for the After

1. Caring for the After An overview of the situation regarding the after-care of children in out-of-home care in Malta Office of the Commissioner for Children, Malta Nicholas Vella Laurenti, Policy & Research Officer

2. Rationale of After-care • Care process is a continuum • Overlapping (not discrete) phases, hence need to carry on care beyond the leaving stage • Success of reintegration depends also on the quality of care provided before the leaving stage • Ultimate aim of care process should be to allow child to develop into a mature young adult

3. Background Situation in Malta • Child Population: 79,334 children (2008) • Number of Children in out-of-home care: • Residential Care: 243 children (2008) • Foster Care: 160 children (2008) • 89% of residential child care is provided by Religious Communities. • Median age at which offspring leave their parents’ home: 28(Eurostat, 2005)

4. A holistic view of the care process in Malta (1) During Care • Care is tailored to the individual child - • Care Plan and Social Worker for every child in out-of-home care • Care is geared towards allowing child to realize his/her potential and becoming independent.

5. A holistic view of the care process in Malta (2) After Care • Young adults who leave out-of-home care are helped to live independently: • Housing schemes • social housing • shared ownership • rent subsidy • supported housing • independent living programmes

6. A holistic view of the care process in Malta (3) After Care • Children who are in foster care are helped to stay with their foster families beyond the age of majority: • Fostering allowance given to foster families is extended to until the fostered persons are 21 years old.

7. A holistic view of the care process in Malta (4) After Care • Once children in out-of-home care reach the age of majority, they are helped to find employment: • Bridging the Gap Scheme • Mainstream support services for unemployed adults

8. A holistic view of the care process in Malta (5) After Care • Young adults who leave residential out-of-home care are helped to cope with their new situation by the homes through the provision of after-care services: • formal after-care usually for period of 6 to 12 months; • support groups or past pupils associations; • formal and informal activities to keep care-leavers in contact.

9. A holistic view of the care process in Malta (6) • Coordinating and centring the various support services provided in the phase after care around the individual: • Embark 4 Life project • youth. inc programme

10. A critical evaluation of the care process in Malta (1) • A study project by the Office of the Commissioner for Children is investigating the long term outcomes of children leaving care. The study is to be completed and published by mid-2011.

11. A critical evaluation of the care process in Malta (2) • There are no enforceable national standards across the care continuum. • Leaving out-of-home care process is not adequately prepared. • Recent efforts to coordinate services around the individual (i.e. Embark 4 Life project) must become a permanent part of the service setup.

12. Future Horizons • Enactment of law that will make national standards for out-of-home care legally binding on all providers of out-of-home care • Implementation of 10-year strategy on residential out-of-home care • Reorientation of out-of-home care from residential to foster care

13. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!http://www.tfal.org.mt/