Dear Editor,
Reference is made to your correspondence dated October 8, 2011 requesting comments on a letter published in Stabroek News (October 8th, 2011) under the caption `Poorly cared for children in Cotton Field’. First, I wish to thank you for giving the Child Care & Protection Agency an opportunity to respond.
This matter of neglected children was reported to the Ministry of Labour, Human Services & Social Security earlier in the year 2011 and from reports, the Probation & Social Services Officer attached to Region 2 and the School’s Welfare Officer of the same Region began working with the family to improve the well-being of the children and to prevent the separation from the family. Accordingly, assistance both in cash and kind was provided for this family but in spite of all the efforts of the various case workers the parental dysfunction continues.
The Child Protection Policy of the Ministry is to provide assistance and support for families to adequately care for their children and removal and placement of children in institutions is done as a last resort. However, the situation has now reached the stage that the children will be removed from the family and placed in protective care.
We at the Child Care & Protection Agency are currently seeking to establish real community partnerships and responses for the protection of children. Child Protection is not a task that we can do alone. There must be the involvement of all. There must be community responsibility for child protection.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank all concerned citizens and to encourage you to do something tangible today to help a child. Perhaps you could become a foster parent opening your heart and home and take a child in so we will have one less child in an institution.
Once again thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Ann Greene
Director of Child Services
Ministry of Labour, Human Services & Social Security