Poor choices argument

In the wake of a teenage boy's death by suicide following years of bullying, and the murder of a mother and her baby, senior members of the national community again rang the family-life alarm bells about poor choices.

In Parliament on October 10, the Prime Minister argued that when he told women to choose their partners carefully, it was the same advice he had given to his two daughters. He then sought to link that advice to Tara Ramsaroop's decision to go with her daughter to the home of the suspect under investigation for their murders.

Pastor Clive Dottin, speaking at an event in Morvant on October 9, called on parents to have stronger family values and principles, urging parents to teach their children how to make good choices.

Both sentiments are sensible, but coming from men who are pillars of their communities, both resound with a certain tone deafness to the reality of citizens who are not as privileged as they are.

The people of TT are not a homogeneous entity who can respond to these casually dropped nuggets of advice in the same way, or with the same effectiveness.

Pastor Dottin is correct that there are significant challenges to family life, especially in lower-income families, but high-handed advice won't address those problems.

What's needed is a nuanced response that acknowledges the vagaries of the lived experience on the ground in TT.

The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services has targeted NGOs engaged in family outreach in two categories for dramatic increases in funding in the 2025 budget, moving from $54,667 to an estimated $800,000 in one category, and increasing another category from the 2024 allocation of $177,301 to $500,000.

These budgets were set at $600,000 and $500,000, respectively, for 2024, which suggests that even when money is allocated for family intervention efforts, it is not spent.

Nobody wants another LifeSport incident, in which millions are spent on a social intervention project that delivers nothing.

It isn't even clear that the Social Development Ministry can effectively deliver on an agenda funded with 38 per cent of the 2025 budget, almost $10 billion.

Donna Cox said on October 11 that there are 175 vacancies in her ministry, 102 "with bodies." Are those roles being filled through acting appointments or doubling up of work?

The ministry boasts that 28,999 parents have attended 1,179 sessions of its Parenting in Education series, so the state is aware of the need to address the family-life issue holistically.

It's a start. It makes no sense for leaders to urge parents to teach something they may not fully understand.