MaltaCAN – The Malta Children’s Associations Network
The MaltaCAN network was established to promote, foster, and support children’s rights and child participatory mechanisms in Malta. It aligns its work to the United Nations Conventions for the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Adopting a child-based approach, the Network prioritises child participation, and its implementation at a local level, through an integrative and collaborative approach.
The Network seeks to raise awareness, and influence policy by creating working groups tasked to react and/or promote topics and issues related to children’s rights and child participation, all the while making sure that the fundamental pillar of the Network remains the respect for the voice of the child.
MaltaCAN is a voluntary organisation made up of 16 independent organisations which, in different ways, work towards the wellbeing of children in society and aim to safeguard their rights in line with internationally established standards.
The NGOs that form part of MaltaCAN as the member organisations are:
| ACICA (Assistance to Children in Care Association) |
| Association of Play Therapists |
| Church School Children’s Fund |
| ECDAM (Early Childhood Development Association of Malta) |
| Fondazzjoni Sebħ |
| Happy Parenting Malta |
| Karl Vella Foundation |
| Malta Dyslexia Association |
| Malta Girl Guides |
| Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement |
| NFCAM (National Foster Care Association Malta) |
| NPSPD (National Parents Society of Persons with Disability) |
| Richmond Foundation |
| Salesians of Don Bosco |
| The Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society |
| The Malta Trust Foundation. |
Since its inception, MaltaCAN worked continuously towards ensuring that children’s rights and needs are always met, particularly the needs of children coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Although the pandemic made it very difficult for the parties to meet in person, a number of meetings were held virtually enabling the organisation to take part in a number of activities related to children’s rights and children’s wellbeing.
Notwithstanding this, MaltaCAN has regular meetings between its members where they collectively take reactive decisions on issues that are relevant to anything that may affect or help children in any way. At the same time, MaltaCAN discusses and act proactively on ideas that may benefit or aid children’s lives and rights.
As the organisation continued to develop and establish itself, all members agreed that MaltaCAN should be registered as an NGO in line with the Statute dated. In this regard, all members agreed to proceed with the lodging of an application to register MaltaCAN as an NGO. Furthermore, all member organisations agreed to appoint the first executive committee to be able to register MaltaCAN with the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) and appointed Dr Stephanie Dalli as the Chair of MaltaCAN and Ms Karen Buttigieg as an executive board administrator.
