A 13-year-old toothless girl from a troubled family had to wait for a year-and-a-half for the government's social structures to conclude that no one could provide her with teeth.
The teenager was eventually provided with a set of teeth when a private dentist stepped in voluntarily and the girl could finally smile, Jean Paul Mifsud from YMCA Homeless Malta said this morning.
He was giving an example of the need for services to be given in a timely manner as "some kids have immediate issues".
Mr Mifsud was speaking during a conference entitled The Disadvantaged Child: Problems and Solutions, organised by YMCA Homeless and Celebrities for Kids.
He questioned why children were being placed on waiting lists and stressed the importance of having services that immediately targeted the individual needs of children.
Mr Mifsud pointed out that various people who attended the conference listed the same concerns in a form they were asked to fill in. These included the lack of a Children's Act, severe lack of placements, bureaucracy, and the need for more cooperation between stakeholders.
He criticised the fact that lack of resources was leading to...
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