Director of Malta's Child Protection Services Antonella Mizzi said that despite national efforts in prevention, CPS will unfortunately always be a reactive service, as it receives reports of allegations of abuse that has already occurred.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, Mizzi was asked if she believed Malta is investing enough in prevention, including community outreach, universal parenting support and mental health access for families, or if CPS still works largely as a reactive service.

"As has been the experience over the years, Child Protection Services will unfortunately always be reactive.  Why?  Because we receive reports of allegations of abuse that has presumably already occurred.  Rarely, it is very rare that Child Protection receives reports of concerns rather than actual abuse happening," Mizzi said.

Mizzi said that fragmentation across agencies and other entities does not help, as they will work in silos.

There might be similar initiatives by different entities, when those resources could be used to reach a wider population, she said.

She also said that parents nowadays are also harder to reach, as compared to years ago.

"Parents today are overwhelmed; they do not have the time to attend parenting courses. Perhaps we need to reach them where they spend most of their time, at their workplaces," she said.

Asked if that is a stigma and mentality too hard to break, as parents would not want a child protection officer to come to their workplace, Mizzi agreed in saying that no one would like a child protection officer to visit because of the stigma it carries.  

"There are many initiatives, however, not only by the child protection services, but by other services that do not carry the burden of child protection, who are doing great work in prevention and I believe that if we reach parents where they are, where they spend most of their time, we can reach them better, in my opinion," Mizzi said.

"This is where it takes a village to protect a child, because we need employers on board as well, we need parents on board, and the community on board.  The more we all make the child the centre of every decision we make, I think the more protected our children will be," Mizzi said.

Many families referred to CPS end up needing parenting programmes or other specialised interventions like STOP and Incredible Years.

"Prevention is always better than cure, but some clients require intensive courses or specialised interventions. Multiple issues are often present - addiction, aggression, lack of parenting skills, mental health issues," Mizzi said.

However, a pressing challenge is that CPS often faces non-cooperation by parents.

"Sometimes, getting parents to understand that the directorate is there to help rather than take away their children is a struggle. When children are caught in this lack of trust, they end up suffering a lot," she said.

While CPS tries to work collaboratively with families, some situations require legal force.

"There have been situations where CPS had to go to Court for a mandate for forced intervention. We conduct joint interventions with the police, but that does not necessarily mean there will be full cooperation," she said.

Mizzi also added that a lot of CPS workers are faced with constant risks in their job.

CPS closes a case once it concludes its investigation and is confident the child is safe - depending on the type of abuse involved.

"If it is emotional abuse, we ensure the parents learnt other methods of communicating. If it is physical abuse, that they are open to positive discipline. If it's sexual abuse, that the threat is removed from the proximity of the child," Mizzi explained.

However, a closed case can also be re-referred to CPS through various sources or other services, if there is further suspicion, she said.

"Half of the cases we deal with seem to be recurrent. Re-referrals might mean many things -  stressors, changes in partners, unemployment, loss in the family. Moreover, it is very difficult to eradicate the cycle of abuse unless there is intensive work and a willingness for change," Mizzi said.

Are cases ever closed before alternative programmes are finished? Mizzi said that this very much depends.

On domestic violence cases, for example, if there is a protection order and the alleged perpetrator is out of the household, the children are safe because the risk factor is out of the picture - even if the perpetrator is still going through the STOP programme.

"Obviously, we will be alerted by one of the many systems that remain in close contact with child protection services," she added.

When CPS receives allegations of sexual abuse, the process is rigorous and highly specialised, she said.

"We conduct a forensic interview. It is audio and visually recorded, so if the case goes to Court, that interview can be taken as the witness of the minor, preventing further re-traumatisation," Mizzi said.

The directorate's aftercare includes referrals for therapy within FSWS or the community, Mizzi said.

Removal of the child to alternative care happens only in rare cases, Mizzi said, as that is when all interventions have failed, when all attempts to create stability and safety in a family dynamic have failed.

Responding to arguments that CPS may sometimes intervene too late, Mizzi said that decisions are never straightforward.

"Children need a sense of belonging. We try to preserve the family unit when there is the slightest sense of responsibility and willingness to work on the problems, but if we see deterioration, then we need to intervene," Mizzi said.

Before seeking alternative care for children, CPS always explores next of kin or any family who would be willing to help, which keeps the sense of belonging of the child intact, Mizzi said.

On parents with mental or intellectual disabilities, Mizzi said that when CPS investigates, it liaises with mental health and disability services throughout the investigation..

"We support the parents as much as possible, because if the parent is supported, they can provide better care for their children," Mizzi said.

However, the outcomes depend heavily on the parents themselves, and Mizzi said that sometimes parents are not ready to face their mental health problem or disability.

"If the risk is too high, the directorate will have to intervene in another way," Mizzi said.

Mizzi also spoke about the growing threat of online harm, as beyond exposure to sexual content and grooming, she also spoke of parents exposing their children online unintentionally.

"We are exposing kids through adult videos or posts, because the child is there in the background. There needs to be more awareness," she said.

Mizzi said that many minors are left alone or unattended, making them easier targets, and advocated for prevention and more awareness.

Complex families, multiple children, non-cooperative parents, and overwhelmed community and mental health services all complicate CPS work, Mizzi said.

"If we are relying on other systems that are also inundated, it becomes very difficult," Mizzi said.

She said that the law imposes strict deadlines for CPS to start investigations.

"At least we must have started our investigation and have a clear view of whether a case merits investigation. Further action comes later depending on the outcomes of the investigation ," she explained.

Schools, police and medical services are key partners, especially in emergencies, Mizzi said.

"We are constantly reviewing our work very closely with the police, schools and medical sector," she said.

She added that the law makes it very clear that suspicion of abuse requires a report, which is where mandatory reporting comes in, and there no policies will stop that.

"That is what inundates the directorate, but then it is in-house procedures that need to be in top shape to make sure that we deal with those emergent reports," Mizzi said.

Despite everything - the volume, the burnout, the resource shortages - Mizzi said that her team keeps going because they believe in the mission.

"We do miracles. With the limited resources and sometimes lack of energy, because the directorate's work is a 24/7 job, we bring about positive change in the lives of many children," Mizzi said.

She said she often refers to the workers at CPS as "miracle workers," as they go beyond their working hours and job descriptions to safeguard the most vulnerable.

"We push ourselves to the limit because we believe in the cause we have been entrusted with," Mizzi said.

The first part of the interview was carried yesterday