Gozo Bishop 'out of touch' for claiming parents ‘throw babies into childcare'

Updated 10.31pm

Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma has sparked backlash after claiming parents are treating their babies as “objects” by sending them to childcare centres under the age of two.

“If your baby is treated simply as an object, once they are two or three months old, they will be thrown into a childcare centre,” the bishop said in a recent homily. 

Equality parliamentary secretary Rebecca Buttigieg condemned the comments in a Facebook post, calling them deeply unfair and out of touch with the realities facing modern families. Buttigieg, who sends her nearly two-year-old daughter to childcare, said parents deserve support, not judgment.

“It is deeply unjust for parents to be judged as though sending their children to childcare were some kind of sin,” she wrote. “Parents should be supported in raising their children by offering more support services.

Environment Minister Miriam Dalli, who sent her two sons to childcare before they turned two, said the homily was not an opinion on childcare centres but a condemnation of parents. 

"If the Bishop feels comfortable condemning me and other parents that send their children to childcare, I would tell him 'go for it'", she said.

"He can condemn me as much as he likes, I can give him peace of mind that my children never were, and never will be "objects" as he described them to be."

Working mothers are entitled to a total of 18 weeks maternity leave, which is approximately 4.5 months. Free childcare is currently available from three months to three years.

Money first, child second

In a homily, the Bishop warned expecting parents not to treat their babies as objects simply because “they have other things to do”.

“If your baby is treated simply as an object, once they are two or three months old, they will be thrown into a childcare centre,” he said. 

“I will never stop condemning childcare centres until the age of two. This is not me saying this, but psychologists with sense.

“What happens when a child is treated as an object? Money becomes our first priority. We want a beautiful bedroom, so we need a loan to be able to purchase it. We need to work. This child becomes an object, less important than this bedroom.”

His comments came during his homily at the National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ta’Pinu during a mass dedicated to the blessing of babies in the womb last week.

He also warned about how separated couples treat their children as their “property” and even use their children to hurt each other. 

The Gozitan bishop told the expecting parents to remember that their unborn child in the womb is a gift, and not an object. 

During his homily, Teuma said some parents experience fear when they find out about their pregnancy, both for families whose pregnancies were unexpected and others who have been waiting for a long time.

He highlighted how the child, their baby, is not just theirs, but a gift provided by God. 

He emphasised the importance for parents not to treat their child as an object to satisfy their needs. 

"Many times, we fall into the mistake of treating people like objects, only considering them when we need something. This is not right, as that person will feel taken for granted. No person in a household, neither husband nor wife, and no child, can serve to satisfy our needs, because otherwise they will become an object."

The Childcare Centres Providers Association insisted childcare centres have become "an integral part of children's early upbringing, supporting working parents and contributing towards the child’s early development."

In a joint statement with the Chamber of SMEs late on Friday, the association pointed out that the centres are "led by professionals and qualified carers" whose main role is to provide quality care and ensure the safety and wellbeing of children "in an environment that is centred around family values, and carried out with dedication and passion".