The Maldivian Civil Service Regulation has been amended to give employed parents in civil service who foster children in state care a special type of leave.
The Minister of Social and Family Development Dr. Aishath Shiham stated last month that work was being done to give a special leave for foster parents who are caring for children who are less than 6 months old and children who are older than 6 months.
The Civil Service Regulation has been amended to include the special leave and gazetted yesterday:
- If the age of a child in state care is less than six months when an individual assumes custody of the child, the individual will be given leave with their salary and benefits until the child is six months of age.
- If the age of a child in state care is six months or will be six months of age in less than 30 days when an individual assumes custody of the child, the individual will be given a 30-day leave with their salary and benefits.
The minister has noted previously that the fostering process can be lengthy, discouraging some families and that those who foster infants in particular, often struggle to balance work with caregiving responsibilities.
According to the minister, the number of children placed in foster care has increased significantly, with 111 children handed over to the care of families in the past two years.
The government’s policy is to prioritize placing children with families rather than in institutional care, allowing them to grow up in more stable and supportive environments.
