Less childcare institutions, more child development centres
Director of the CPA, Ann Greene
Director of the CPA, Ann Greene

– Ann Greene says institutions do more damage to children

A child should not be in an institution (children’s home). It is a lifesaver for a child, but the last place he/she should be sent.

Institutions do damage to children because a child cannot get individual attention in those facilities, particularly the large ones.

Several studies reviewed have revealed that orphans and vulnerable children in institutions do not receive adequate personal care, attention, affection and stimulation.

It is to this end that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Innocent Research Centre (2006) pointed out that child neglect, harsh and rigid discipline, maltreatment and abuse exist in most institutions, whether resource constrained or in developed countries.

The UNICEF Innocent Research Centre (2006) also highlighted that institutional care can result in some undesirable effects on children such as emotional and psychosocial disturbances, developmental delays and learning disabilities, and medical problems.

“We have to put children in institutions as a last resort…according to the policy we established, a child goes to an institution as a last resort,” said Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), Ann Greene during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.
The agency intends on doing away entirely with large children institutions: “we are going to put them out of existence,” said Greene, adding that she intends to change the roles of those institutions.

Instead of an institution keeping children there, it should be a place for children to learn things, then go home. The agency is going to turn the institutions into child development centres so that children would not be sleeping there, but there will be lots of things that children could partake in. The centres will allow children to become empowered through the programmes which will be offered. “We do not have to get large institutions…All like the Muslim homes and so that got children, we will change them into child development centres,” said the CPA director.

“We want to make the institutions into child development centres so that children will come here to learn things, but they will go home,” said Greene, noting that there will be a role for all the children homes, since they will become child development centres.
For instance, she said the Saint Ann’s Girls Orphanage could become a Catholic Child Centre so that children could go there to do their homework, develop a skill or even seek guidance or advice from a counsellor.

“We don’t need institutions, we could change it to child development centres…that is the vision I have,” said Greene. Asked what will happen to the children who are housed at the institutions, Greene said the agency is going to try to get them back with their parents. If they cannot go with their parents the agency will have to find substitute parents for them.
“A child’s place is in their home in bed sleeping not in an institution…we have to keep youths out of institutions…in institutions, because of the need to be loved, children get tied up…one of the disadvantages might be that they would have their first sexual experience in there,” said Greene.

There were close to 23 children homes, 20 of which were privately owned and three which were controlled by the CPA. Over the years the number of homes have decreased to just about 16.

Considering the disadvantages, the first thing the agency looks for, if it is going to move a child from out of a home, is alternative care. In most cases the agency looks for a person who the child knows and trusts, particularly a relative. If the agency fails to find a suitable relative, the child goes into the foster care programme. The agency has 179 children in foster care, with 212 parents.

In the case where a child might have to go back with his/her parents, if the parents do not have proper accommodation or in general if a family does not have proper accommodation, he/she will be moved into a Children and Family Centre. The centre, which has eight apartments, will be launched soon and will be able to accommodate an entire family. Families will be able to stay at the centre until they can find independent housing.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.