Dr Daniella Zerafa has recently been conferred a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Malta. She is the first candidate to start and finish a doctorate with the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, so in many ways than one, this was a special occasion for the Faculty I lead. As per tradition she gave an Oration; splendid, articulate and fiery. Dr Zerafa a passionate social worker by profession, and now a leading academic in the Department of Social Policy and Social Work, has dedicated her life to children’s matters as explained so eloquently in her Oration.
She starts her address by acknowledging her roots, values and principles as being at the heart of who she is;
It is an honour for me to have been asked to prepare this address; an honour which I would not have had, had I not been brought up by parents who were committed to my wellbeing and to providing me with the opportunities to learn and to grow. They were genuinely committed to my education, but more importantly they consistently made me feel valued. I knew that for them I was an important priority. I would also not be standing here today had it not been for the teachers and lecturers who were so important in my formation. And besides those involved in my formal education I also refer to the kind neighbours who my mother would ask to help me with my homework when I got stuck and who showed an interest in me and encouraged me with my studying.
She doesn’t take long to take her debate to what is indeed a crucial theme for her – namely, focusing on the lack of opportunities that some children experience;
Unfortunately not all children have what I had. The 49 children who were the protagonists of my doctoral study were amongst the children who did not. Their parents were facing serious challenges such as drug misuse and serious mental health difficulties which they refused treatment for; they were in the midst of conflicting relationships where domestic violence prevailed and where conflict pervaded their lives. These difficulties were impacting their parenting abilities, and the opportunities which they offered their children hence diminished. At times their actions towards their children became neglectful and abusive. In a number of situations these children had to be removed from parental care after the professionals who became involved in their lives realised that their safety, protection and wellbeing would be jeopardised if they continued to live with their parents.
What I found particularly engaging is that her Oration was weaved around human rights;
It is the rights of these children which I would like us to reflect upon today, because many of us graduating today will in our careers or research meet them, and be involved in making decisions about their present and their future. As pointed out in various documents produced by the Council of Europe, children are human beings, they are not mini human-beings with mini human rights. Hence while the family unit should be the subject of policy directives, children cannot be treated as lesser than other members in the family. In this context, that we make good quality decisions is the children’s right. We must ensure, not only their immediate safety and protection, but also opportunities which will allow them to reach the furthest they can reach, and more importantly to be the happiest they can possibly be.
Dr Zerafa goes on to outline the important role of professionals and the crucial significance of having services and policy tailored around the children rather than the system;
Hence our responsibility as professionals to keep abreast with recent research, to read widely and to seek specialised and continuous training. The onus for this also rests with the agencies and organisations which employ us – they too owe the children and families we follow the very best - and this includes investing in our training and supervision, encouraging us to be critical thinkers and reflexive practitioners. In the interest of the children and families we serve, we as professionals should not settle for anything less.
Dr Zerafa proverbially ‘practices what she preaches’ and actually reflects on her experience as a foster parent, a role she has taken to heart and sits closely to where and who she is;
In my experience as a foster carer, the children who come to us yearn for the simplest things which cost no money - they require a lot of patience and endless love to enable them to begin to heal from the trauma which they would have experienced – they enjoy entering the world of talking socks and toys which take on humanlike qualities; they love storytelling and spending time with our pets – things which all children enjoy but which it was clear these children had never experienced before. Hence because I have seen with my heart how meaningful such a child-adult relationship is to children who find themselves in vulnerable situations, I urge you to never be too busy to play with a child, never underestimate how meaningful your interaction with a child can be; it is through play and storytelling that a child will begin to heal and move forward. The fact that we as professionals or carers are part of this process is a unique privilege and we should embrace it as such, never ever undervaluing its precious worth.
Almost all of us gathered here are adults, and although we may wish to turn back time and relive our childhood, this is not possible. What is however possible is to commit ourselves to never stop looking at the world through the eyes of a child.
It is only then that we will be able to understand what it is like for children to witness professionals being bombarded by adults’ voices and giving heed to them because they are stronger voices than theirs.
It is only then that we will understand what it means for a child to have his or her voice muted and at times ignored.
Dr Zerafa makes a very close link to the responsibilities we have towards children and their social wellbeing especially when many-a-times children are going through a tough patch:
My research results revealed parents being given chance after chance to improve the parenting they were offering their children and to refrain from actions which were neglectful and abusive, while their children watched on as their brain was further marked by the traumatic events they were experiencing. These results may at face value suggest that the blame for what happens lies with these children’s parents. However analysing these results revealed that the expectations professionals had of parents were often unrealistic – it made little difference to the children’s lives when their parents were referred to formal support services, when the issues which were impacting their parenting were deep-rooted and went back to their own childhood and adolescent years. This goes to show the importance of early intervention in children’s and adolescents’ lives. Once children and adolescents go through their childhood and adolescent years, and the work which was required to be done with them would have been postponed, it is very difficult to then work with them on their issues whilst also expecting them to improve their parenting abilities as required by their children’s timeframe.
The study also throws light on the importance of swift decisions when children are involved. Children cannot wait forever for important decisions to be taken about where they will permanently spend their childhood and adolescent years. This means that they will miss out on important milestones in their physical, psychological, emotional, social and educational development.
Dr Zerafa appeals for what at times appears to be impossible: ‘coordination’. She claims that dedication, steadfastness and loyalty in the helping professions ensure children’s interests are safeguarded;
One of the quotes which I have carried in my heart in my social work career and as a foster carer, is that by educator Rita Pierson who stated “Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be.” While I continue to see the value of individuals championing children, a recent experience I had as a foster carer showed me how important it is to have championing communities when it comes to children, rather than championing individuals. This is because children cannot risk being impacted negatively because of crisis situations which happen in their parents’ or caregivers’ lives. The children I foster are not my foster children, they are our children – when crisis struck my family a couple of weeks after the youngest two children we foster joined our family, my husband and I were lucky to be surrounded by people who truly understood this, and hence despite the difficult period we were challenged with, we are pulling through, carrying these treasures with us. Similarly the children who were the focus of my study are not solely their parents’ sons and daughters, they are our sons and daughters. We who have made it to this ceremony today owe them the very best – we owe them the same level of care, attention and love which we owe our own flesh and blood. Compromising this will be compromising our professional and social responsibility towards these little ones who deserve not only a future but also a present.
....and what I consider to be the strongest appeal in Dr Daniella Zerafa’s Oration;
Hence in conclusion this is what I augur for all of us graduating today – may we all treat these vulnerable children as our own, since after all they truly are.
Nothing to add.