Child Development Agency’s Services to be Strengthened

State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the Government will be boosting the support services provided by the Child Development Agency (CDA).

Mr. Green advises that the Ministry and CDA have discussed the proposed strengthening of the agency’s team of psychologists and psychiatrists to ensure that when reports are made by victims of child abuse, “support is on hand to start that process of healing.”

He made the announcement during the Ministry’s ‘Keep the Children Safe from Sexual Violence’ forum, which was held at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston on Tuesday, April 12.

Mr. Green said the Ministry was also committed to further boosting the success recorded under the ‘Break the Silence’ campaign, aimed at encouraging persons to report suspected cases of child abuse to the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR).

While noting OCR data that shows a significant increase in the number of reports made, with the figure moving from 455 in 2007 to 11,749 in 2014, the State Minister said the culture of silence continues to be “one of the biggest challenges” being encountered.

“We have a subculture that supports those who do not inform,…an anti-informer culture that pervades our entire society that we must break down,” Mr. Green said.

Consequent on this, he is encouraging the society to do more to safeguard the nation’s children.

“Abuse of our children must never be tolerated and it can only be stopped by the collective efforts of ordinary citizens, policymakers, Government and international stakeholders,” Mr. Green said.