Commenting on the Study conducted by the Commission of the Family and presented to the Parliamentary committee on Social Affairs, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson Profs Arnold Cassola said, “It is quite of concern that 21% of children in Malta live in relative poverty. Social Policy has a key role in the provision of material well being, health, education, peers and family relationships and well being.”
AD Spokesperson for Health and Social Protection Mary Anne Zammit added, “Whilst Malta is creating numerous opportunities for our children to help them expand their talents and intellectual abilities, at the same time, child poverty is too high. In various cases, child poverty results from economic and social hardships. This requires inclusive social policy which aims to bring about more equality of opportunity and equality of outcome, in areas such as education, housing and health. Maltese social policy should also acknowledge the fact that a plurality of family forms exist, and that these should be entitled to the equivalent social policy rights and duties to ‘traditional’ forms of the family.”
Mary Anne Zammit added that children who are deprived of love and healthy upbringing are also vulnerable to poverty. “In this regard, it is positive that childrens’ rights have been enshrined in Maltese law and social policy”, she said.