$892M to protect Guyana’s children

−campaign on child abuse, parenting programmes on the cards

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has earmarked some $892 million of its budgetary allocation to ensure the protection and wellbeing of the nation’s children by eliminating barriers hindering the timely response to abuse.

Minister Hon. Dr. Vindhya Persaud made this statement during her contribution to the Budget debate on Wednesday in the National Assembly.

“That [$892 million] will go towards human resources, capital investments to enable us to respond with alacrity to the numerous reports of child abuse, awareness campaign, parenting programmes and some other areas,” she said.

The Ministry, through the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) would also be focusing on adoption and encouraging persons to adopt older children.

Dr. Persaud also said the Ministry would continue to update archaic legislation relating to the rights of children. Already, the Government has tabled the Adoption of Children (Amendment) Bill, which would provide for the insertion of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.

This, Minister Persaud said, would follow after the revision of Trafficking in Persons Act and other legislations such as pensions and public assistance.

“Before you know it, we will have legislations that are modern and in conformity with best international practice. Mr. Speaker, that’s development, that’s progress and that’s only a little bit of what this Budget encompasses,” she said.

This year, $29.5 billion has been allocated to the Ministry to execute its mandate of providing services to the country’s most vulnerable groups, including women and children, the elderly, youth and persons living with disabilities.