Foster parents, caretakers equipped with necessary tools
- Childcare and Protection Agency hosts workshop
DPI, Guyana, Saturday, July 14, 2018
A workshop, aimed at equipping new and prospective foster parents with the knowledge and tools essential to foster care, was hosted today.
The two-day exercise which is being held at the Regency Hotel is an initiative of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) as it continues to uphold its mandate to ensure the safety and well-being of vulnerable children.
Minister of Social Protection, Aman Ally, during her opening remarks, stated that while “the decision to remove a child from their home is always a difficult one,” the state is obligated to uphold the constitution which is “the best interest of the child shall be the primary consideration of the state.”
Minister Ally expressed her belief that “every child deserves and should be given an opportunity to succeed and to grow up in a safe, stable and nurturing environment that is free from abuse and neglect.”
She reiterated the ministry’s commitment to “ensuring caretakers have the resources they need to properly care of children in foster care.”
The minister reminded the participants of the workshop that as new and potential foster care parents, they have “taken up the mantle to assist in achieving the vision of a future that will ensure that our vulnerable children grow up in the environment most positive and natural for other growth, wellbeing and protection.”
The workshop is facilitated by Ismay Griffith who has spent the last 30 years working in child welfare in New York City. During the two-day session, participants will be given the opportunity to interact with each other sharing common challenges and work towards finding solutions.
By: Anara Khan
Images: Kennyann Bacchus & Ministry of Social Protection