The Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) has taken the necessary precautions to ensure that its staff and members of the public are protected from COVID-19, its Director Ann Greene has said, but it is also cognisant of the fact that services provided by the agency are critical and it continues to operate as per normal.
While it is encouraging persons to call in, where it is necessary the agency’s doors remain open and no one is turned away.
“We know, at this time, especially with self-isolation, that all kinds of things can happen to children and we need to protect our children,” Greene told Stabroek Weekend when contacted.
“We have not closed our doors, but we have put measures in place to combat the virus,” she continued.
Schools have been closed for the past two weeks and are not expected to be reopened until after the Easter holiday and Greene said attention also had to be given to the three homes that fall under the agency.
Since Guyana confirmed its first coronavirus case, Greene said, the CCPA office has been cleaned and sanitized by Ministry of Public Health professionals and their cleaners have been following through to ensure that the building remains clean and sanitized.
She said, too, that staff members have been provided with sanitation supplies to ensure that they also continuously clean the areas they operate in.
Further, the agency has installed two wash sinks at the front of the building and has provided soap and paper towels. Anyone who enters the building, be it staff members or members of the public, there are wardens who guide them to the wash sinks. They are asked to wash their hands when leaving the compound as well.
“I am doing it. My staff is doing it. Everyone is doing it because we understand the importance of washing our hands,” Greene said.
As it relates to social distancing, Greene said they have also been practicing this and staff members are now rostered as provided by various supervisors and the staffers are asked to work on a shift system.
Clients continue to be interviewed but Greene said the interviews now occur in the boardroom which is large and can allow persons to sit away from each other. The air conditioning is also turned off and the windows are open to ensure the sunlight and air enters in the room.
Since the virus was found in Guyana, Greene disclosed, fewer persons have been visiting the office and they have been updating their Facebook page asking persons to call, not only the agency’s hotline number but two other numbers provided.
Persons are asked to call 227-4420 or 227-7542 along with the agency’s hotline number 227-0979.
“We are asking people to call. The phone will be answered, and they can talk to us and we will provide whatever help is needed,” Greene said.
The agency also has its frontline officers who respond to complaints where a child is in danger and Greene said they have had cases where they had to remove children from homes in recent times. Those frontline officers are provided with masks and gloves which they use whenever going to do an intervention.
“We don’t have anyone sitting down in the office with gloves and masks but once they have to go out these are provided,” she added.
She said they have also had staff members who were out and returned recently and they have been asked to self-isolate for two weeks before returning to work.
Care centres
At the three care centres, which house just about 200 children, Greene said, they have been constantly educating the children about the virus and how it is spread and the importance of them washing their hands and keeping themselves clean.
With school being out, Greene said, they have been placed in groups, lower primary, upper primary and secondary and there are classes going on in an attempt to keep them occupied during the day. She explained that they usually have tutors in the afternoons but now the tutors are going in during the day to give them classes.
“We also have structured activities for them, all the homes have wide open spaces where they can go out and be involved in those activities. So, you have things like dancing and karate that they are involved in,” Greene said.
And at all three of the homes there is rigid enforcement for staff entering for duty to get sanitized before they go in and there are corners set up for this to be done before they enter and start interacting with the children. Visitation of the homes has also been put on hold, so persons who visited the home to be involved in various activities with the children are temporarily barred from doing so.
“We are comfortable right now that we are providing the services needed, because we know how critical these services are, but we are also taking the necessary actions to fight this virus,” she said.
She said that their environment is a safe environment and persons are encouraged to come if they need the services provided as social distancing will be practiced. But they are also encouraged to call the numbers provided above. She said they continue as well to check on the children who are in foster care.
“This is not a job for us, you know. We here are on a mission so we cannot stop working. We will continue to protect the children and our spirits are high that we are able to beat this virus as we ensure every family and every child is safe,” Greene pledged.
She cautioned that persons just have to be responsible and Guyana will be able to beat the virus as “we have a lot of space; a lot of sunlight and people just have to adhere and be positive and optimistic.
“I tell the staff that we have a service here to provide and we will continue but we will also take the necessary precautions and stay safe.”
