New foster care bill sent to parliament

A new bill on foster care is being sent to parliament for a vote, Deputy Social Welfare Minster Anastasia Anthousi said on Wednesday following a cabinet meeting.

Anthousi said: “The most important and essential thing that is achieved with the new bill is the empowering the child’s own voice throughout the foster care process.”

The bill ensures that children will be placed in foster families that are suitable for their development and well-being, protecting their interests and multiplying the psycho-social benefits for them.

According to a statement from the deputy ministry, the bill aims to regulate the care and protection of children placed under the parental care/custody/care of the social welfare services through the fostering process.

Among other things, the procedure for approving the suitability of the foster parents and their obligations, the maintenance of registers, the services provided to the foster parents, the foster care supervision process, the criteria for the inclusion of a child in semi-independent living, and the smooth transition of the child to adulthood are provided for.

Currently, there are a total of 167 foster families in Cyprus, while the number of children under the care of the social welfare services amounts to approximately 1,500, of which 1,200 are unaccompanied minor applicants for international protection.

The remaining children under the care of the state, 29 per cent are placed in child and adolescent protection institutions, 65 per cent are accommodated in approved foster families and 6 per cent are included in a programme of semi-independent living and it is noted at the same time that, these numbers are not fixed, since needs are constantly changing.