Malta
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Number of children in foster care | The latest statistics from July 2019 show that there are 244 children and young people in Foster Care in 220 foster families. (https://www.tvm.com.mt/en/news/need-of-more-families-to-foster-children/)
This is approximately half of the number of children in care in Malta, 480 at the end of 2017 (https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/only-half-of-children-in-care-are-fostered.677224)
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Agency responsible for foster care in Malta | There is a central government agency which licenses and monitors foster care services in Malta. This agency is called Aġenzija Appoġġ
Contact details for Aġenzija Appoġġ Foster Care Service: Website: https://fsws.gov.mt/en/appogg/Pages/Health-and-Family-Services/Fostering.aspx Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fosteringmalta/
Aġenzija Appoġġ Head Office Address: 36, St Luke’s Road, G’Mangia, PTA 1318 Telephone: +356 22959000 E-mail: appogg@gov.mt
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Who can foster in Malta? | Any person and family can foster in Malta. Each person and family is assessed by social workers who report to the Foster Care Board for approval.
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Are there any restrictions on who can foster in Malta? | Any person can become a foster carer expect for persons who do not have the physical skills or who have poor mental health which would restrict them from functioning as a foster carer.
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Are there age restrictions on who can foster in Malta? | Malta’s fostering legislation does not refer to age restrictions. |
Payment of foster carers | Foster Carers in Malta are given €100 a week (as of August 2019) for each child or young person they foster. In some special cases a different allowance would apply. The foster carers will keep receiving these benefits until the young person turns 21 years old.
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Who provides foster care services? | In Malta only the Aġenzija Appoġġ agency provides foster care services. Aġenzija Appoġġ is a government agency.
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Fostering and kinship support groups | National Foster Care Association Malta (NFCAM) provides support to foster carers through training and advice. It also organises national and international conferences for foster carers such as IFCO conferences organised in 2007and 2017.
The NFCAM contact details are as follows: Email: info@nfcam.org Website: www.nfcam.org Phone: + 356 79981795
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Support for young people ageing out of care | If a young person continues to reside with their foster carers, they would benefit from support from Aġenzija Appoġġ until the age of 21yrs.
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Relevant legislation | Minor Protection (Alternative Care) Act 2019
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