Child Care and Protection Agency fulfilled its mandate last year - Report

Child Care and Protection Agency fulfilled its mandate last year – Report

Nov 14, 2012 News

The Child Care and Protection Agency

Having ensured that there was a response to all reported cases of child abuse and a safe place for recovery and rehabilitation for every victim, the Child Care and Protection Agency was last year able to fulfil its mandate.
At least this is documented in the 2011 Annual Report of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, which was tabled in parliament last week Thursday.
According to the Report, a total of 3,358 cases were reported and responded to, indicating that the Agency attended to 100 per cent of its cases during the past year. Reports of abuse were made though the Ministry’s hotline and by visits to the Agency situated at the corner of Broad and Charles Streets, Charlestown, Georgetown.
Emphasising what can be described as a laudable year, the Report details that psychosocial support and other assistance were directed to 8,631 at-risk children and their families, suggesting that Agency, headed by Ms. Ann Greene, surpassed expectation, reflected by a 108 per cent response rate. It was however revealed that while the target set was exceeded, there were many more children who needed assistance. Moreover, the Report highlights that “human and financial resources allocated were inadequate in making an impact.”
The claim of the Report, too, is that the Agency was unyielding in its quest to remove a total of 175 children from the streets and other risky places and exposed them to rehabilitation at the three care centres at Mahaica, Sophia and the Drop-in-Centre. With similar vigour, the Agency was able to monitor the operations of all Children’s Homes and Institutions to ensure the implementation of the minimum standards of operation.
It was also detailed that the Agency was instrumental in facilitating the reunification of some 150 children living in institutions with their families or placed in foster care, while at the same time affording them financial and psychosocial support to aid their wellbeing.
This, however, represented 81 per cent of the intended target of the Agency, which also fell short in its quest to equip some 300 care providers, including police officers who provide child protection services, with knowledge and skills to meet the needs of abused children.
A mere 50 persons or 17 per cent of the target were trained in this regard, the Report outlines.
According to the Report, another shortcoming of the Agency was evident in its attempt to provide 5,000 parents and other primary caregivers with techniques and skills for effective parenting and a move to facilitate four skills training programmes for youths in children’s homes and orphanages.
Though ambitious, both objectives were not realised during the past year. A need for more planning and the non-receipt of financial resources, were cited as reasons for the failure in these areas.
Also among the targets for the past year was a plan to conduct public awareness programmes via the media, on child rights and other issues affecting the wellbeing of children and encouraging community members to foster a child. However, though the Report failed to indicate whether this target was achieved although an analysis of the Agency’s performance in this area, it stated that “the work that was done was not enough to have the desired impact. A national public awareness programme is needed to ensure the desired result.”
The Agency also failed in its quest to create a coordinated body of Child Protection and Child Welfare Service Providers, since according to the analysis contained in the Report “the body is still to be implemented. Work was done but needs Ministerial approval to proceed with the launch.”