The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Child Protection Unit continues its campaign to extract children from unsafe and exploitative environments, as it seeks to ensure that every child lives a full and healthy life.

The Officers conducting their Mission Child Care exercise at Mahaica,East Coast Demerara.

Yesterday, a team from the Ministry, comprising Probation and Welfare Officers from the Child Care and Protection Unit, a Technical Officer from the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Unit (TIP), Education and Welfare Officers from Region Four, a Constable from the Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D), Eve Leary, and a rank from the Mahaica Police Station, visited Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, to investigate complaints of cases of child labour.

The Ministry had received complaints from residents about some children in the area being mistreated and put to work instead of going to school.

During the exercise, no children were picked up. However, the team investigated other cases of child labour that were encountered during the visit.

Probation and Social Services Officer Denise Ralph said that they will be vigorously pursuing the encountered cases to provide safety for the children.

During last month, a similar exercise was carried out on the lower East Coast of Demerara, following complaints, and four children were taken into protective custody.

The children’s ages ranged from eight months to 10 years. They were discovered alone in a ‘shack’ in a squatting area.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand, in an invited comment on that case, said that while it is unfortunate that children have to be taken away from their parents, the Ministry has to look at the best interest of the children.

Since the commencement of the programme in 2007, the Ministry has intervened in the lives of about 200 children and 100 of them have been placed in protective care.

In cases where children are picked up, they are placed in the Drop in Centre, whilst their parents are contacted. Welfare Officers at the Ministry upon investigating the cases, determine whether it is in the children’s best interest to return them to their parents or to place them with a close family member. If this is not feasible, then they are placed in a suitable child care facility of the Ministry.

Meanwhile, Government has been moving aggressively to protect children and has since passed four pieces of legislation in the National Assembly to ensure that children’s rights are protected.