Dealing with homes abuse long-term project

THE EDITOR: Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Ayanna Webster-Roy has sought to assure the public in her statement of May 2 that the $126 million to be allocated to dealing with abuse at children’s homes and the several recommendations arising from the Judith Jones Report will be well spent.

However, despite her assurances one can't help but wonder how much of these funds will be spent on the task force and how much in actually implementing the recommendations, many of which are quite sound and have been proposed before from the several similar reports on children's homes over the years.

Behind the sensationalism and furor of recent articles on the topic, the issues at the core of fulfilling the children's needs are the provision of transition facilities for those aged 18 to 25 as they exit these homes, and the need for infrastructural assistance to existing homes to support them in the process of securing licences and better care for their residents.

Providing the infrastructure, staffing and systems for meaningful intervention and development of our children in need of care and protection is a long-term project. Even more so is the absorption of the graduates from these facilities by the society at large.

Surely business and academia must see that the responsibility must be borne by all sectors of the society and public/private partnerships, corporate sponsorship and training programmes are all much needed inputs in solving this problem.

After the task forces disband and the reports take their places on the proverbial shelves, we all have a contribution to make.

CONCERNED

HOME EMPLOYEE

(name withheld)