Health Minister Horace Dalley announced on January that Grace-Ann McFarlane was appointed to act as the Registrar of the Children's Registry. - File
Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter
Despite the Govern-ment's announcement that the Children's Registry would be ready by December 31, it is yet to be established, preventing the court from prosecuting persons for failing to report abuses against children.
Mandated by the Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA) 2004, the Children's Registry's role is to receive information supplied by persons who suspect that a child has been, or is in danger of being abandoned, neglected, physically or sexually ill-treated, or is in need of care and protection.
The penalty for not making a report is a maximum fine of $500,000 or six months in prison or both.
On January 1, Minister of Health, Horace Dalley, announced that Grace-Ann McFarlane was appointed to act as the registrar of the Children's Registry, which will temporarily operate out of the Child Development Agency's (CDA) offices in Mandeville, Manchester.
However, The Gleaner has learned that this office is yet to hear complaints of abuses against children, but to begin the groundwork for the establishment of the registry.
Contacted Monday, Mrs. McFarlane said work was under way to set up the office.
"We are currently seeking a location to set up the call centre and the office of the registrar," she told The Gleaner.
Seeking staff
Mrs. McFarlane also noted that her office was looking to recruit and train staff members who will work in the registry.
The acting registrar said the regulations, which will allow for the legal enforcement of penalties when persons failed to report cases of abuse, should be passed by Parliament in another month.
The project to set up the registry began January 1 and is expected to be completed by April 1.
"We are hoping that by the end of the period, we would have accomplished (what we had set out to do)," said Mrs. McFarlane.
In the interim, Mrs. McFarlane has urged persons who want to make reports to do so by calling the CDA at 1888-PROTECT.
Mrs. McFarlane told The Gleaner that a registration centre, where persons can visit and make reports, is to be set up in every parish on a phased basis.
The first set of offices will be established in the parishes with the highest number of reports of abuses against children. These are Kingston and St. Andrew, Clarendon, St. Catherine and St. James.
