THE Headquarters of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) is situated on the corner of Broad and Charles Streets in Charlestown, Georgetown. It falls under the Ministry of Social Protection.

Every Monday, a feature is published on this page by the CPA as part of our public awareness campaign, the objective of which is to educate and inform the public about the law as it relates to children, their rights and child abuse. This column also aims to change the negative views and attitudes that some people have towards children, and to highlight positive parenting skills.

It is called 4 minutes 4 change because it should take about four minutes to read, and we hope the information we share promotes change in the lives of children who suffer every day at the hands of uncaring or thoughtless adults.

Many children live in vulnerable and deplorable situations, but they carry on day after day, because they cannot speak up for themselves. Children simply live the lives they are given, having not yet acquired the intellect to complain or question their dilemma. They need caring adults to look out for them and to speak on their behalf. Each week, we appeal to you, members of the public, to get involved. We need you to be our eyes and ears. If you know of, or even if you suspect that a child is being physically or sexually abused, neglected, or has been abandoned, you must make a report to the Childcare and Protection Agency, the hotline number of which is: 227-0979.

The hotline is manned 24 hours per day, and not only are calls held in the strictest confidence, but the caller can also remain anonymous, should he or she wish to do so. Children are also brought to the attention of the Agency through vigilant Teachers and Childcare and Nursery workers, neighbours and family members. Every time a case is reported to the CPA, an investigation has to be carried out and followed through by CPA officers.

Some members of the public believe that the sole purpose of the CPA is to separate children from their families, but nothing could be further from the truth. Children are only removed from their families if they are in danger, or the law states that it is not suitable for them to remain in the same house as their abuser.

Some children who are brought to the Agency are allowed to stay temporarily with family members, such as an aunt, an estranged father, or a grandmother, while an investigation is carried out, while others are placed in residential care for their own safety. Younger children are placed with foster parents, if possible.

Foster care provides one-on-one interaction between younger children and their carers, which helps with their transition. It is a traumatic experience for children to be separated from familiar surroundings and the people they know; therefore, foster parents can soften the blow by providing a ‘home away from home’ environment.

Children are taken into care for various reasons, some of which are dire, and can take years to resolve (if at all). This could be due to uncooperative and elusive parents, or because there are no parents or family members to care for a child. Some parents become upset when CPA officers try to explain the law to them with regards to child rights, and why they are in violation of the Protection of Children Act (2009). They believe that they have the right to treat their child any way they choose, because it is their child. But when it comes to child abuse, the law supersedes the rights of parents.

There was a case not so long ago, where a couple had their three children sleeping on a piece of cardboard on a concrete floor in a squalid area, which the family also used for cooking, bathing, and eating. The children were removed from the ‘home’, while the parents did their best to reconstruct the area and make it more habitable for themselves and their children. The Ministry of Social Protection helped with mattresses, and the children returned home after an inspection was carried out and approved by senior CPA officers.

In another case, a father was caught molesting his teenage daughter by her younger sibling. The mother, when told, did nothing, and upon investigation, the CPA immediately removed the children from the house to a safe place, while the matter was investigated. Apparently, the father absconded before the police arrived, never to be seen or heard from again. That is the mother’s story. But neighbours and family members are convinced that the man is still seeing his wife on the sly, and staying somewhere in the neighbourhood where she lives.

Sad to say, the teenager remains in care for her safety, while her mother and her tenuous father seem to be getting on covertly with their lives. If this sounds unfair, that’s because it is: The child should be cared for at home by loving parents. These are just two examples of cases handled by the CPA. There are many more incidents where perpetrators are in our midst, or where children are at risk. As a society, we must recognise our duty to protect our children.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION