First National Children’s Policy ‘will empower children’ - Minister Falzon

The first National Children’s Policy was launched yesterday, with Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon saying that it will empower children and is the first step towards giving children the rights they deserve.

The policy document was launched yesterday to coincide with Universal Children’s Day. It will work alongside the Child Protection Act, which was passed by Parliament in January but which has yet to come into force.

The policy identifies key stakeholders – the family, the state and the community. The key dimensions of the policy objectives are: home environment; social wellbeing; health and environment; education and employment; leisure and culture. The policy includes 110 objectives.

These include ensuring children’s views are taken into consideration by policymakers, that equality of access to health services is assured and that more recreational spaces for children are developed.

The policy paper’s implementation will be monitored and evaluated by the Office of the Commissioner for Children.

Marisa Scerri, the director general of social policy within the ministry, explained the fun- damentals of the policy, in which all children are given the right to protection, provision and participation. “They have the right to be loved, guided and taken care of,” she said, adding that one of the strengths of the policy was that it had been built after consultation with children aged between three and 17 from private, Church and state schools.

The commissioner for children also said that children were allowed to express themselves through drawing, poetry or any way they felt comfortable.

President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca was unable to attend the event but spoke through a video message highlighting her satisfaction that children were being included in politics and children’s rights had become an integral part of society.

“Children’s rights are human rights,” she said, urging authorities to continue creating processes which allow children to reach their potential and aspirations.