Mother Speaks Out About Lack Of Government Support For Children With Disabilities In Malta
As the mother of three young children, one of whom has a physical disability, Louise knows all too well the challenges faced by the Maltese community when it comes to accessing critical healthcare services.
Her four-year-old son was diagnosed with PVL, a brain condition that causes cerebral palsy and renders him unable to walk.
Speaking with Lovin Malta, Louise pointed out that the lack of services and resources is not only related to physiotherapy but extends to all therapies related to special needs, including occupational therapy, speech therapy, and psychology.
While local organisations such as CDAU, Aġenzija Sapport, SI, and others offer support, there is a significant lack of manpower and governmental investment in the sector. The overwhelming demand for therapy services has led many families, including Louise’s, to travel overseas for treatment.
“There are a few private companies, mainly three, carrying out pediatric physiotherapy, but they can’t meet the demand either,” Louise says.
The limited availability of therapy sessions, coupled with logistical challenges such as traffic and scheduling conflicts with school, resulted in many families not receiving the necessary frequency of treatments for effective progress to be made.
These private therapy services are fully independent of the government, resulting in session fees ranging from €25 to €40 per session.
She eventually turned to the government to ask for change and was not met with anything.
“I met with The Minister of Inclusion, Julia Farrugia Portelli on this account and I was told that they are aware of the shortcomings but currently can’t do much more due to lack of staff, etc… I had some other requests during the said meeting but the promised phone call follow-up was never met.”
In the meantime, when the budget came around, most of these parents were shocked as they were told that a person with special needs will only get €200 of tax deductions every year which was “a slap in the face” in comparison to children with extracurricular activities getting a €300 tax deduction.
“Due to this, many people like myself have taken a route to take our children overseas for therapy as intensive therapy and know-how have been more beneficial but the expense is quite a burden with some families having resorted to GoFundMe but others just feel helpless not being able to make it happen.”
In response to the concerns raised, the Government has replied stating its commitment to helping families with children with disabilities, mentioning the introduction of a new tax credit of €200 per child, as well as partnerships with organizations such as the Inspire Foundation and the Malta Autism Centre.
However whilst Louise is also quite active with autism awareness and support she argues that their response is inadequate, as it only addresses autism and not physical disabilities, and focuses on adapted learning programs rather than therapies offering proven progress.
Furthermore, long waiting lists and lack of resources further hinder access to these services, leaving parents frustrated and struggling to meet their children’s needs.
Louise feels that it is time to take a stand and fight not only for her own family but for the community as a whole, lending her voice to the many parents in desperate need of help and support.
As this mother speaks out about her experiences, she hopes to shake things up and create real change for her family and others affected by disabilities in Malta.
Do you think more needs to be done in this sector?