Key forum concludes Child Protection Week

As Child Protection Week comes to a close this weekend, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security convened a stakeholder forum with pertinent officers from across the country to discuss all of the issues surrounding child protection.

The one-day event, held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara on Friday, complemented the ministry’s child protection rally held in Region Six for the first time this time around.

The event saw representation from the Guyana Police Force, Ministries of Health, Education and Amerindian Affairs; the National Toshaos Council, among other stakeholders.

Subject Minister Dr. Vindhya Persaud told the News Room that the event was key in helping the officers to become familiar with the laws, as if they fail to understand them, they will not be doing things in the correct way.

“We are working on everybody being very familiar with and part of, and understanding their role and responsibility in the referral pathway of the Child Care and Protection Agency so when a report is made: who has to do what, the time in which it has to be done, and the urgency with which reports have to be dealt with, the necessity for follow up and responsible reporting,” Minister Persaud said.

She noted that the ministry intends to ensure that all procedures are followed and will be monitoring what happens afterwards.

“People will leave here with a stakeholder pathway or referral pathway; people will leave here with knowledge on the law, people will leave here understanding the procedures,” she pointed out.