– CPA Director says measures are in place to protect them

THE Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) has assured the public that systems have been put in place to ensure the protection of street children and child beggars from coronavirus (COVID-19).

The new measures include check-ups by doctors once they are picked up by the agency and the establishment of isolation rooms to minimise any potential spread.
Director of the CPA, Ann Green in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle explained that during this present period street children are especially at risk.
While noting that the main aim of the CPA is the protection of children, she stressed that their protection against COVID-19 is high on the agenda.
So far no child in the protection of the CPA has tested positive for the deadly virus.
“We are aware of the COVID-19 virus and the threat it poses, and although we have always had systems geared to ensuring the children we pick up are in good health, we have implemented new systems. Each child, through our collaboration with the Ministry of Health is examined by a doctor at their arrival here,” Green explained.
She added that systems have also been put in place to ensure that if any child has possibly been in contact with someone who has the virus, they do not spread it to the other children in the care of the CPA.

“We want to ensure that none of the children that we have here have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus, so following them being examined by a doctor we have also moved to allocate space to be used for isolation in the eventuality that they may have been exposed to the virus,” Green stated.

Further, the CPA Director told this publication that since the epidemic began there has been a decline in the number of street children. She added that while this cannot be solely attributed to many more parents being at home and being able to keep a closer eye on their children, it is still a major contributor.
She further disclosed that the CPA has been working closely along with the Guyana Police Force and the Ministry of Social Protection (Ministry of Human Services), which has been assisting with some safety-net programmes for children who are in vulnerable living situations.

The director stated that to date the CPA has a number of housing facilities. There are 36 children who are currently being housed at the recently constructed Children and Family Care Centre in Georgetown.

Additionally, Green said that the CPA is also working to have juvenile-processing centres set up at police stations. She explained that this is to ensure that in the event children are picked up by the police, there is a child-friendly environment for them to be kept until a parent or a CPA official arrives.
Green used the opportunity to urge the public to desist from giving money to child beggars.

“We want them to stop. To the children it may feel like an encouragement for them, for them to go out there every day, because they will get money every day whether they are doing it on their own or their parents are sending them out. So persons shouldn’t encourage them; and if you see a child beggar contact us and let us know so we can go out and help them.”
Green noted that the CPA is prepared to assist these families and urged those individuals to make contact with the CPA.
The CPA Director disclosed that the agency has teams in all administrative regions monitoring and responding to calls of children begging and vending on the roadways. She noted that in such cases, the respective teams would try to find a foster home to house the child/ children or they would be accommodated at the Georgetown care centre.

Images
Saved as: CPA 1- Caption: Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), Ann Green