By Trudy Simpson, Staff ReporterIT WILL cost Government some $800 million to implement recommendations from a report which showed that it had failed to adequately monitor and supervise the island's children's homes and places of safety.
Yesterday, John Junor, the Health Minister, flanked by top health officials at a press briefing at his ministry, promised to implement the recommendations, which will cost Government nearly $300 million more than the $550 million it has allocated to the new Child Development Agency (CDA) which has responsibility for child welfare.
Health and child welfare officials also defended their child care record, providing documentation which showed that almost $64 million had been spent to refurbish 17 state institutions, that standards were developed and disciplinary action carried out in the last three plus years.
Mr. Junor said that since 1999, standards for quality care of children in homes and places of safety run by the state had been developed, 12 persons in state institutions had been disciplined, three had been dismissed and several cases were reported to the police.
However, it was not immediately clear whether definite disciplinary action against any official would follow the report on children's homes.
"They have been very general in their report. We have not seen any new cases here reported. Whenever such cases are reported and discovered, wherever we get those reports, they will fully investigated," Mr. Junor promised.
Grace Allen-Young, Permanent Secretary for Health, said she has asked for further information on reported cases that the ministry received and Mr. Junor stressed that the CDA could hire, discipline, fire and reward good performance.
The children's homes report identified critical weaknesses in the evaluation of children; the placement of children; care standards, regulation, and monitoring.
