THE CHILD Care and Protection Act was designed for children who are at risk. But more than a year after the act has been passed, convenor of children's advocacy group, Hear the Children Cry, Betty-Ann Blaine, says the act lacks the requisite teeth and backing to effectively do what it was designed to do: protect Jamaica's children from abuse and neglect.
Head of the Child Development Agency (CDA), Allison Anderson, said the agency, which has the responsibility of enforcing the act, has admitted that the agency is still in the early stages of implementation. The Children's Advocate that should have been hired is not yet in place. The advocate would have the responsibility of
protecting and enforcing the rights of children. Mrs. Anderson says an intersectoral committee headed by the executive director of the Jamaica Coalition on the Rights of the Child and a project manager is working towards the establishment of the office of the children's advocate.
"Several consultations with children have been held so that they can tell what their expectations of the office are," Mrs. Anderson explained. "The committee is near completion of the necessary tasks and should be advertising the post soon."
CHILDREN'S REGISTRY
She says regulations governing the children's registry are
being developed. Until this is completed, the CDA is acting in the capacity of the registry through its islandwide network, by receiving all reports and investigating reports of abuse of children, in partnership with security forces and children's courts.
But, Mrs. Blaine is not impressed. "The CDA needs to do more," she insisted. "There are too many of our children
selling on the streets."
She chided the CDA, which she said had not issued a public statement condemning the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in east Kingston, more than three weeks after she was killed.
"Reactions have come from several areas of the Jamaican society and the agency which has the mandate to look out for the welfare of our children has been silent on the issue," she fumed.
Mrs. Anderson told The Sunday Gleaner that the
CDA was still in the process of preparing a statement regarding the little girl's death and insisted that the three weeks that had elapsed was not too long.
While Mrs. Blaine acknowledged that the agency needed more time to effectively enforce the act, she said the police could play a more active role in
ensuring that children were not selling on the streets.
