Child protection interventions, care economy opportunities announced during Region 2 outreach

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud has concluded a two-day outreach in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) engaging residents across several communities and addressing concerns ranging from child protection and domestic violence to pensions, public assistance, and employment opportunities.
The outreach, which took the Minister to Capoey Mission, Onderneeming, Queenstown and Good Hope, focused on listening to residents, identifying challenges affecting communities, and outlining measures aimed at strengthening social support services.

At Capoey Mission, the first stop on Saturday, Minister Persaud discussed a number of Government programmes and initiatives designed to support and strengthen communities. She addressed issues related to child care and protection, domestic violence, abuse and the services available to vulnerable individuals and families. The Minister emphasised the Government’s commitment to ensuring citizens have access to resources and assistance that can improve their quality of life.
Later at the Little Red Village Community Centre in Onderneeming, the Minister met with residents to discuss parenting and childcare concerns. During the engagement, she gathered information on challenges affecting families and children and outlined plans for intervention.
One of the key measures announced was the redeployment of officers from the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) into the community. According to the Minister, the officers will conduct targeted visits to identified hotspots and work to address issues affecting children and families.
Persaud was accompanied by Permanent Secretary Dr Erica Forte, CCPA Director Levine Gouveia and other senior officials from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.
The Minister’s final stop on Saturday was at Good Hope Primary School, where residents raised concerns relating to pensions, public assistance and childcare services. Persaud said the outreach was aimed at understanding the issues faced by residents and finding practical solutions. She assured community members that the concerns raised would be addressed through continued follow-up and support.
The outreach began on Friday with an engagement at the Queenstown Community Centre, where residents met with Minister Persaud and Regional Chairman Devin Mohan.
During that meeting, residents were provided with information on the National Care Economy Initiative, which is expected to be launched by the Government through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. The initiative will offer training opportunities and support citizens interested in establishing childcare and elderly care businesses, creating avenues for employment and entrepreneurship within communities.
The Ministry said the outreach was part of ongoing efforts to connect directly with residents, assess community needs and strengthen the delivery of social services across the country.