A punchy sound bite, but where is the substance?

Sep 02, 2014 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
Our attention having been captured by the headline of the Stabroek News report of August 31 (“Parents of home alone children will be charged…”), we read the article carefully to check that the caption was not out of step with the context of the Minister’s remarks. It was not. The Minister was quoted as saying, “It is not only the state’s responsibility to ensure that children are properly cared for” , a comment which echoes statements made by successive Ministers of Human Services which indicate the continuation of a deeply dismissive and biased view against poor families, especially those headed by women.
True, parents have primary responsibility for children, but does the community not also have a responsibility? Surely, Guyana having acceded to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Minister must remind herself that the State committed to many responsibilities to children which are not being met.
Can the Minister assure us that the mothers she threatens to penalize are able to access affordable daycare services so that they will not tempt her wrath by leaving children unattended? It is such a punchy sound bite: we will jail these wicked and negligent mothers. But how well-funded and administered are the programmes which claim to help poor families? If we add together public assistance, the uniform vouchers, the $10,000 per schoolchild and any other available social allocation, would this be enough to support a mother and children so that the mother does not have to do shift work as a security guard, or some other low-waged and exploitative work that takes her away from home?
We would rather hear the Minister talk about charging the professionals who fail to do the job for which they are paid. Let us hear more about how we will arrive at effective monitoring of institutions where children are placed. Tell us about the findings of the investigation into the Camal Home, and the remedies instituted. We also need to understand why the visiting committee first failed to flag problems at this home, then was asked to investigate what amounts to its own failure. It would also be pertinent to have information on the New Opportunity Corps investigation, and the safeguards being put in place.
We urge that persons in authority resist the temptation of falling for apparent quickfix solutions which are likely to create greater social grief. Rather, make the budgetary allocations for work which will address the roots of the problems.
Joy Marcus and Wintress White
For Red Thread

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