Child Care and Protection Agency launched

Aug 01, 2009 News

… Jagdeo urges police to pay greater attention to abused children

The Child Care and Protection Agency was finally launched on Wednesday at the Pegasus Hotel. This agency is expected to cater exclusively for the well-being and needs of children not only on the coastland but also in hinterland areas.
President Bharrat Jagdeo said that the agency will have its own building and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security will have to employ a large number of social workers who will need to be properly trained.
The Head of State also reiterated that he has already warned the Guyana Police Force to seriously deal with issues of abuse to women and children.
“I have spoken to the police already that they pay greater attention to the abuse of children and women in our society. I have spoken to them at length about this. We need to raise public awareness on the new legislative programme that we’ve had and passed. People need to know what the laws are and understand their rights and obligations,” the President said.
He also referred to reports emanating from the United States as it relates to Trafficking in Persons (TIP). According to Jagdeo, Guyana is a small society and as such, people should know if TIP is taking place.
“I have not seen or been aware of reports from the NGOs and Faith-based organisations that operate in every community and they should be attuned to the communities in which they serve. So it’s either the cases are not there or we are failing somehow to look at this. But we can’t for the US sake, find people and prosecute them just because we want to satisfy the US. I can say to you, wherever we find people, we will take the toughest action possible under our laws against them.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand, said that since the Mission Child Protection was launched in 2007 to address children living on the streets, 70 kids are still in the care of the Human Services Ministry.
“Our strategy is simple. We pay attention to all of our children, we remove from difficult circumstances those children who are finding themselves in those circumstances and we then place them in temporary care.”
The Human Services Minister explained that she is aware that institutional care is the last option for children, as reintegrating them with their parents or guardians is the first choice.
However, it was noted that if children cannot be reintegrated with their families, then the Ministry will explore whether they can be fostered.
The Human Services Ministry is currently in the process of finalising their first set of official foster care applications, as the matter is presently in the court.
“Where foster care is not an option and adoption will be better, this would also be facilitated by the Ministry locally and overseas.
The process of adoption will be smoother than before. And if adoption is not a choice, and children have to be placed in institutional care, then we need to ensure that the institution that they are in is capable of providing for these children,” Manickchand said.

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Child Care and Protection Agency launched

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