Police, citizens urged to play greater role in getting children off streets

…as “Street Light” initiative launched

The Human Services and Social Protection Ministry on Monday, in observance of Child Protection Week 2022, themed “Keeping Children Safe Through Community Collaboration”, launched a “Street Light” initiative. This initiative aids in having children who are on the street for various reasons analysed and provided with whatever care the Ministry can provide.
The “Street Light” initiative will start immediately with childcare protection officers doing routine checks at areas where children frequent.
Minister Vindhya Persaud, while addressing the gathering, noted that the Ministry, after several discussions were held with parents and children who are on the street, the name “Street Light” was initiated, because as a society, there is need to turn the light on the issue. She added that it is common and the children are predominantly at the stop lights.
She said that while engaging in those conversations, Child Protection Officers have been evaluating the situations and reasons as to why the children are on the streets and working to provide assistance to determine what can be done to eliminate the occurrence.
Persaud added that under the initiative, when children who are on the streets are identified, the Ministry through the Government is providing training, employment and support to both the parents and the children and is creating a database to follow up the children to ensure they have stability in their lives.
“Is need for intervention, for family stability, can the family take care of its children, is there other social issues contributing to this?”
The Minister also stated that while children are on the streets, they are exposed to exploitation, can be involved in accidents and their lives can be scarred and damaged, and as such Child Protection Officers will be taking tougher actions to protect children, which is covered in the child protection laws of Guyana.
“It is important that when we have children on the street, to understand the risk out there not only of exploitation but of abuse and it is also important to look deeper into the matter to see what triggers those children into being on the street and why their parents are not integrally involved in supervising them.”
Also at the gathering was Assistant Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Levine Gouveia, who noted that getting children off the street is not only the Ministry’s job but the public can lend a helping hand by reporting when a child is seen on the street so the Ministry can provide shelter or whatever resources they can to help that child.
“Removing children off of the street and other places that put them at risk for exploitation is everyone’s responsibility to make the project a success. This awareness programme is to propel the populace into being part of the solution of getting the children off the street and into meaningful activities by providing purposeful assistance, and not being part of the problem by inadvertently giving the children a small change.”
Gouveia, while addressing the gathering, also shared an experience she had when she saw a child about seven years old and his mother on the streets one night, and she called the Police, who arrested her and had her spend the weekend behind bars. However, when asked if the same would occur again if the charges were to be withdrawn and the Child Protection Agency work with the family, the mother gave her commitment that it wouldn’t and as such she is now employed, Gouveia stated.
Both Persaud and Gouveia implored the members of the public to report instances where children are seen on the road by calling the 914 hotline or the Police. They also urged the Police Force to act upon calls made to them and to assist in rescuing children who are the future Presidents and Ministers of this country from the streets, since making the call can be the biggest difference within the child’s life.
Statistics from the Child Protection Agency shows that over 30 children are begging at stop lights in the city alone.