CPA installs visiting committee to ensure children’s institutions operate at minimum standards

The Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA), has installed the new visiting committee for children’s residential care institutions during the first quarter of 2017. The committee is a recognised body authorised to visit all established children’s homes.

The committee consists of 17 “responsible citizens” who will work for up to three years.

According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), CPA Director, Ann Greene says the personnel have commenced working to ensure that the institutions are up to minimum standards.

“They must operate at a level that the minimum standards are in effect because later on this year we want to licence the residential care facilities, but to be licenced they have to have the minimum standards,” Greene pointed out.

Further, an inspector of homes will be employed by the Ministry to work with the current 66 children’s home to get them up to minimum standards.  When the homes are up to standard, they will be issued operating licences especially now that the child care and development service Act is in place.

The CPA recorded significant success during the first quarter of 2017, according to the Director who said the Agency was able to prevent the separation of 841 children from their family, through the provision of increased support and services to improve parenting roles.

Greene explained that these children were on the verge of being removed from their family because of their home situation. She said the agency worked with them, some of whom were in the special parenting category, while others received assistance from the Ministry of Social Protection’s safety net programme.