When I was a child, and that’s quite some time ago, the saying went that children were there to be seen but not heard. Since then we have come a long way. Today, society has accepted the need to listen to what children have to say and what they think would make this world a better place.

Governments have acknowledged the fact that besides being citizens of today, children are the backbone of any country’s future. It is for this reason that the PN in government will continue to work towards improving services, policies and legislation for the better welfare of children.

In fact last year, on Universal Children’s Day, the Family and Social Solidarity Ministry chose the theme Towards a better welfare for children’ and the activities were varied, targeting the many issues that are vital in a child’s life.

It is not only social welfare that is essential for a child, nor does education alone enrich a child’s life. An integrated approach to services and policies is essential. For instance, earlier this month, the Investment, Industry and Information Technology Ministry, together with Agenzija Appogg within the Family and Social Solidarity Ministry, launched a campaign to keep the internet a safe place. This service is complimentary to Appogg’s support-line 179.

However, this campaign is not the task of these two ministries alone but includes the collaboration of other stakeholders, such as the police, the Education, Youth and Employment Ministry, the Office of the Commissioner for Children and local internet service providers. And the target of such effort is not only the children but includes their parents as well.

Parents will continue to occupy a major role in the formation and protection of children. No one can protect our children as much as we can. But, as pointed out earlier, we cannot do this on our own. We need a legal framework matched with policies and services. That is why there is the need for an integrated approach in this regard.

The network between the ministries concerned is vital and therefore various laws need to be amended to cater for it. Obviously, legislation alone is not enough, but needs to be followed by the provision of services.

If we take a look at the services introduced in the last few years to ensure the better welfare of children, the list is quite long. The introduction of these services shows Malta’s commitment towards the objectives highlighted in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

One of the major achievements so far has been the setting up of the Office of the Commissioner for Children. The Commissioner for Children Act reflects the commitment towards developing a child-friendly society and a pledge to respect children’s rights. The Commissioner’s role is not only to create awareness of children’s rights, or to assert their rights in the legal and administrative framework and to monitor services, but most important of all, to give children a voice.

The debate on children’s legislation is ongoing and should remain so, as children go through different needs depending which stage of their life they have reached. The Family and Social Solidarity Ministry is committed to streamlining all legislation to ensure that the rights of children are preserved.

Over the years the government has identified priorities and invested heavily in the best interests of children. The government is not only working on streamlining legislation but has continuously developed policy and matched its services to legislation and policy.

In 2000, the service provided by the Social Welfare Development Programme was extended to form the agency Appogg. The service offered by Appogg addresses the needs of families in crisis and provides a specialised service for children in need. From 2000 to 2006 the budget allocation for this agency was more than doubled – from Lm440,000 it was increased to Lm980,000.

In 1994, the government launched the Child Protection Service. This is a service that provides social work intervention for abused children. Where abuse is verified, a care order or interim care order may be issued to ensure that the child is in a safe place, away from further abuse.

Until a few years ago, parents who were granted supervised access to their children would, more often than not, meet their children in a police station. Today, with the Supervised Access Visits Service, non-custodian parents can spend time with their children under the supervision of a qualified supervisor in a child-friendly environment.

Children who are under a care order may need the nurturing environment of families. The number of fostering families is on the increase and the number of children in foster care has risen from 25 in 1996 to 170 in 2006. In order to strengthen the fostering service even more, work on the Fostering Act is at an advanced stage.

Other services for children in care include the Looked After Children Service, the Support Service and the Weekend Monitoring Service. All these services are targeted at children in residential care, and their families.

Last but not least, there is the Adoption Unit, which is responsible for finding suitable alternative families for children who, for one reason or other, cannot live with their natural family.

However, services are not only provided for children in care but the government has also catered for children who still live within the family environment.

Child care facilities are now regulated and standards have been established. Parents can now rest assured that their children are receiving the best care possible while they are in a child care centre.

In Cottonera, one finds Centru Access, a centre that includes the Homestart Programme, the Childcare and Facility Centre and the Adolescent Outreach, all services targeted at children living within the family environment.

The Education, Youth and Employment Ministry has also launched a document entitled Biex Uliedna Jirnexxu Lkoll (For All Our Children to Succeed). This document introduces a strategy that goes beyond educational needs, that is aimed at addressing the needs of children with behavioural problems.

The National Action Plan for Social Inclusion also addresses children’s needs. It ensures that the government addresses the needs of children within families who may be at the risk of poverty.

Much has been done but, as in any other field of work, it is never enough. The government is always striving to provide more flexible services that address individual needs in a holistic way.

Most definitely we must keep in mind that children have only one childhood. Therefore we must ensure that their voices are heard so that they can look back on this period of their life without regret.

Michelle Mallia is president of the Nationalist Party Women’s Movement