Supporting families and safeguarding public health

The concerns raised by parents and Childcare Centre operators regarding attendance regulations under the free childcare scheme deserve to be addressed without delay

The concerns raised by parents and Childcare Centre operators regarding fines linked to non-attendance under the free childcare scheme deserve serious attention and must be addressed without delay.

Reports indicating that some families may feel under financial pressure to send their children to childcare even when they are unwell, in order to avoid a fine, are concerning. This affects not only the wellbeing of those children, but also the health of other children and of the dedicated workers who care for them.

The free childcare scheme is an important social policy that has enabled many parents, particularly mothers, to participate in the labour market while providing vital support to families. It is therefore essential to safeguard both the sustainability and the fairness of this scheme.

However, no parent should feel penalised for acting responsibly by keeping their child at home when they are genuinely unwell. Young children will inevitably become ill, and public policy should encourage responsible health decisions rather than discourage them.

Protecting public health requires measures that prevent the spread of illness. In childcare centres, this means avoiding the transmission of illness to other children and to staff. When centres do not have enough employees available, this can also affect the number of children they are able to accommodate while continuing to comply with the required carer-to-child ratios.

The petition submitted by childcare operators and parents puts forward practical proposals that deserve careful consideration, including whether absences certified by a doctor should be treated differently from other absences. At the same time, any changes should be accompanied by appropriate safeguards to prevent abuse and ensure that public funds continue to be used responsibly.

We are therefore calling on the Government to enter into constructive dialogue with childcare centre operators, parents and all relevant stakeholders, with a view to reviewing the current framework and determining whether improvements can be introduced to protect children’s health, support working families and safeguard the long-term sustainability of the free childcare scheme.

Good public policy is achieved by listening, assessing the evidence and making the necessary adjustments in a balanced manner. This is an opportunity to do exactly that.

Jerome Caruana Cilia
Shadow Minister for Education and Citizenship

Ivan Bartolo
Shadow Minister for Social Policy, the Family and Social Housing

Norma Camilleri
Spokesperson for Family and Children’s Policy

10.07.2026