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A FAILED SYSTEM

Aug 20, 2016 Editorial, Features / Columnists

The Commission of Inquiry into the fire that took the lives of Joshua and Anthony George on July 6, last, at the Drop-In Centre on Hadfield Street has spoken and the Ministry of Social Protection has duly acknowledged full responsibility for the tragedy. The COI found that there were systemic failures at all levels and that it was an accident waiting to happen because the system that was in place to protect the children was inadequate and poorly managed.
The report highlighted the overcrowding at the Centre, inadequate and poorly trained staff, outdated fire prevention systems, and the lack of adherence to fire regulations. The report stated that the remaining 29 children and the two staff at the Centre did not sustain any physical injuries, but some of the older girls are still traumatized as a result of the tragedy. It said that they blamed themselves for the deaths of the two boys and are often having flashbacks and are not sleeping well at nights.
However, using the children/staffer ratio, the COI affirmed that a minimum of six social service assistants should have been on duty that night, and not two, to adequately meet the needs of the 31 children. It found that while there were adequate written guidelines for the management of crisis situations including fire, the two staffers on duty were not familiar with them.
It revealed that the staff was unqualified, untrained and inexperienced for the responsibility given to them. Simply put, the Drop-in Centre was not safe; it had a series of problems. It was dirty and was inundated with roaches, which means that the children who ranged from 17 years to one and a half years were in so many ways in danger.
The tragedy should serve as a reminder to the Ministry, particularly the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), that its efforts to protect children must be paralleled by a mature sense of caring for them.
As the parents continue to mourn the loss of their two sons, it is disturbing that there has been no apology from the authorities. In light of the COI report which points to complete failures at all levels, the President should demand resignations from those at whom the buck stops. If he does not, the people will once again blast the government for its shortcomings. They are worried that the President is once again being forced to defend the indefensible.
As a people, we must protect children because those in authority seem incapable to care for them. The Ministry of Social Protection had enough time to improve this and other Drop-in Centres that house vulnerable children, but nothing was done. It is true that the two young boys and their siblings were suffering from neglect, and while it is an obvious case of indigent parenting, the Ministry has dropped the ball and is ultimately culpable for their demise.
The government must accept the recommendations of the COI and create a system to ensure that children who are the most vulnerable in society are not abused, and that they must have access to the basic necessities including food, shelter and proper healthcare. And crucially, they must also have equal access to education, irrespective of their status.
There is a lot of talk by those in authority about children being our future, but there is a lack of action to make it real. The time has come for them to put aside their egos, humble themselves, and seek advice from experts in order to provide the best care for children.
It took the lives of Antonio and Joshua George for the authorities to come to their senses, but their deaths must not be in vain.

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