Foster Care Programme to be Boosted, says Minister Bappoo

GIS - January 26, 2011: The Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, Mrs Sheilabai Bappoo, GOSK, met the Press yesterday to elaborate on the Foster Care Programme and on current initiatives to boost the Programme.  

According to the Minister, the Programme is being boosted due to multiplication of cases of child abuse, negligence and other forms of exploitation noted during the past months. Hence the decision to reorient the action plan so that these children find a place in foster families instead of in a shelter.  From January to October 2010, some 5,283 cases of violence have been perpetrated against children.  Cases reported to the Ministry have become even more complex and very sensitive, while the lack of responsibility of parents vis-à-vis their children constitutes a major drawback, observed the Minister.

By virtue of the law, a child is under the responsibility of foster parents for a minimum two-year period which can be renewed to cover a similar period.  The conditions to extend the period are subject to investigations.  ‘All procedures are done in transparency and therefore this means that there can be no trafficking or malpractices. These children live within these families like any other children of that same family and not as strangers.  That is why investigations have to be well carried out with proper matching to see which children go live within which family,’ insisted Minister Bappoo. 

The concept of Foster Care which exists in many other countries was launched in 2002 in Mauritius and is overseen by the Child Protection Act and governed by several strict regulations.    It relates mainly to children who, on court order, were removed from the responsibilities of their parents owing to insecurity reasons.  They are placed in an institution catering for the protection of children such as a shelter, or as the law makes provision for, in a place of substitution offering a family environment. The main objective is to give the chance to children to evolve and live within a family in an environment conducive for their growth.

Presently there are 40 Mauritian children placed within 38 foster families.  The Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare is currently working on a list with 12 more children whereby they will be welcomed within 11 foster families soon.  The Government has a budget for the Foster Care Programme.  An allocation of Rs 1 500 per child is granted on a monthly basis to foster families so as to cater for the needs of such children.