Red Thread pickets CCPA head office

Jul 14, 2016 News

The five children along with their parents were living in a section in the lower flat of this building

“Where was Red Thread when these children had nothing to eat?”- CCPA official questions

The deaths of two young brothers at the Children’s Drop-in-Centre on Hadfield Street, Georgetown on July 8, last, two Fridays ago, has led to a protest action by a small group from Red Thread. Joining the group were the children’s parents.

The demonstration took place in front of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA)’s Head Office in Charlestown around 11:00 hrs yesterday.

When asked about the reason for the protest action, the parents of Antonio George, four, and six-year-old Joshua George, refused to speak to this newspaper citing a recent article that was published.

The article, quoting an official from CCPA, stated, “Suddenly, all kind of families coming out of the woodwork; some of whom we have never seen before. When the officer asked one of them where these children were living, he didn’t know. But they feel money sharing so they coming.”

“Show us the proof, then we will talk,” the dead children’s father said.

Women’s Rights Activist, Karen De Souza, who also heads Red Thread, explained that the reason for the demonstration is to draw attention to the fact that the CCPA is not necessarily acting in the best interest of children, particularly the case where two brothers died.

“They (CCPA) took five children from a home they deemed unsafe. They took them presumably to safety and two of those are dead and the agency is not speaking about their responsibility. Responsibility doesn’t mean they will bury the dead, that’s expected,” De Souza said.

She continued, “I think they have to do a lot better than that because out of this tragedy, I believe, the agency has to take the necessary steps to ensure that not another child suffers physically while in the care of the agency. There is a lot that has to be done. Checks and balances have to be put in place. A lot more training has to be done with officers.”

A meeting was held after the tragic fire with officials from the CCPA and the Ministry of Social Protection where it was explained that both entities will work with the George family in the long term to assist in whatever way they can.

Officials there spoke, too, about continuous training being offered to social workers and social care assistants.

Kaieteur News was told that the five children were temporarily removed from the home because of their living situation. The building in which they were living was a fire hazard. There were days the children went without food.

Medical examinations done at the Diamond Hospital confirmed that the five siblings were indeed victims of neglect and maltreatment.

A CCPA official said that the entity tried to place the children with family members but none of them wanted to keep them.

“They (family members) were making excuses not to keep the children so what should we have done with them? Leave them in that house to starve and die. Where was Red Thread when these children had nothing to eat? Are they going to sit and wait until something happens and then jump up and criticize?” the CCPA official questioned.

Meanwhile, it was confirmed that the fire at the agency was electrical in origin.

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