THE CHILD Development Agency (CDA) said yesterday that, within three years, it plans to meet targets for several recommendations, still outstanding six months after the release of a damning Children's Homes Report.
Alison Anderson, the CDA's CEO, said despite accomplishing 28 of 46 recommendations, many of them in the Child Care and Protection Bill, the agency is yet to meet some goals, including starting child assessment in the facilities.
"The magnitude of assessing 5,000 children (in state care) is not something we can do without extra budgetary support. Even when we take on next year our psychologists on staff, it's still going to be a mammoth task," Ms. Anderson said during a press briefing at the Health Ministry's offices in downtown Kingston.
The CDA is yet to implement targets including a "clear and accessible channel for complaints" from children and the recruitment of staff for child care facilities. It is also working on evaluating children, staff training, a public education campaign and a child registry.
CASH CRUNCH
Downplaying how the cash crunch facing Government may affect the implementation of the recommendations, Ms Anderson and Permanent Secretary in the Health Ministry, Grace Allen-Young, said there were means to get money, including the CHASE Fund and from donors.
The CDA also hopes to meet more goals between 2004/2005, especially relating to disabled children, Ms. Anderson said.
She said the CDA is collaborating with Deika Morrison, State Minister in the Ministry of Finance, to mobilise resources. It discovered a new Canadian Fund which trains persons working with the disabled. The CDA has also proposed establishing a panel to hear complaints. Officials proposed that a member of the Paediatric Association of Jamaica should head the panel, Ms. Anderson said.
She said the CDA developed protocols to protect children, including a new intake form and stringent new rules for potential staff, including the need for police records, background checks and consideration of psychometric testing. The CDA has completed physical audits of 50 per cent of children's homes, covering the North East Region and also completed physical upgrades of some facilities.
