More foster carers are needed to look after children who are unable to continue living with their birth families. There are currently around 400 children in state care, half of whom are in foster care while the other half live in residential homes. Demand for carers is rising, according to the head of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services. "Last year the child protection department investigated 2,185 reports," said Alfred Grixti. "Not all of them led to care orders, of course, but it means the demand is growing and we need more placements." Children's Rights Minister Michael Falzon appealed for people to open up their homes as an act of love and duty to the country. The appeal, called Give Hope, Choose Fostering, aims to provide a stable upbringing to children who need it the most. Social Welfare Minister Michael Falzon. Children are taken into state care when living with their birth parents becomes too detrimental to their wellbeing and upbringing. Children can be put under a care order due to neglect, domestic violence, their parents' severe drug addiction, or other situations. Some children in foster families are eventually reunited with their birth families when it...
↧