Over 400 children in institutional care – CC&PA Director

…efforts being made for adoptive care

With more than 400 of Guyana’s children in institutional care, the newly-constituted Adoption Board, along with the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA), is in the process of ensuring that the children are placed in stable and safe environments.
This is according to CC&PA Director Ann Greene during a virtual meeting with the Board members last week. Greene stated that the CC&PA’s vision was to have the children placed in caring and nurturing homes.
“Persons who are desirous of adopting children should do so for the right reasons. You have to be a caregiver and not adopt a child for companionship,” the CC&PA Director stated.

Board Chairperson Anya Rahaman-Persaud stated that she would be working tirelessly to alleviate some of the socio-economic issues that are affecting the family, which ultimately filter down to children.
“Every child should have a caring and loving family. Unfortunately, some of the socio-economic issues affecting family life have resulted in numerous cases of neglect and more worrying issues affecting our children. Conscious of the very urgent attention required to address these matters, the Board will work assiduously in helping to bring relief to the boys and girls enduring these sad circumstances,” Rahaman-Persaud said.
Board Members include Subhadra Sukhai; Anuradha Persaud; Vanessa Benn; Sarah Ibrahim; Dwayne Adams; Sylvia Conway and CC&PA Director Greene, an ex-Officio member/Secretary.
Meanwhile, Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud, declared that the Board should adhere to “The Hague Adoption Convention” when reviewing international adoption applications.
“The existing legislation will be amended to incorporate the child protection principles and rights from the Hague Convention,” Minister Persaud stated.
The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption is an international convention dealing with international adoption, child laundering, and child trafficking in an effort to protect those involved from the corruption, abuses, and exploitation which sometimes accompany international adoption.
Additionally, the institutionalisation of children should ideally be a transition point for them to receive counselling and immediate safety, the Minister advised. Therefore, she is encouraging persons to adopt children who are older, giving them good, safe and stable homes where they have opportunities to explore their potential and grow in a healthy environment.
“The ideal situation would be for these children to be reunited with their families or with loving families who adopt them. Foster care is an alternative care mechanism to reduce institutionalising children, and the Ministry has a foster care programme which it will be improving and expanding,” Persaud divulged.
From a human resources standpoint, Minister Persaud stated that she would be lobbying for more persons to be trained in social work, counselling, and psychology.
“We will, over the next four years, be looking to add trained persons to the Ministry’s staff complement to adequately fulfil the needs of the children in our homes and across the country,” she added.