NO govt funds for...battered children

The revelation was made during a fun-day retreat organized by the Friends of the Nia Valley Estate, Hoi Pong Avenue, Matilda Gardens, Princes Town, for some 100 children from four Children’s Homes yesterday. Bridge of Hope Children’s Home director, Subesh Ramjattan, said Governmental support for the Homes were severely lacking in such areas as the provision of basic health care and education.

“Most Homes do not receive any kind of support from Government. None whatsoever for the kind of social work that they perform for the nation,” he said.

He said there was also a high turnover rate of caregivers at most Homes since they are grossly underpaid..

“Most caregivers are basically volunteers at the Homes and really act out of the goodness of their hearts, but they are also human beings who have needs and families and so when a higher paying job becomes available, they leave the Home,” he said.

Ramjattan said most Homes also provided counseling, pre-school and other services to the children because of the generosity of corporate citizens.

“There are sometimes just one or two social workers to service an entire region,” he said. The manager of another Children’s Home was in full agreement saying a child had been placed at the facility by the Family Services Division of the Ministry of Social Services with the promise to provide for the child’s basic needs.

She said over a year had passed and the official had not even telephoned to inquire about the progress of the child.

Ramjattan said the number of homeless children was alarming and recalled a conversation with an inmate of the Youth Training Centre who said he had committed a crime just so he would have food to eat and a place to sleep in the night. “That is where we are at in this country and no-one in Government seems to care,” he said.

The Homes represented at the retreat were Hope Center and Mother’s Union Homes from San Fernando, Happy Home from La Brea and Bridge of Hope from Sangre Grande.

The children’s ages ranged from 18 months to 22 year old.

Organizer, Carl Hoi-Pong said the event was the first hosted by the Mia Valley group and was meant to encourage the caregivers and provide a measure of entertainment to the children.

He said the event may become aand annual event and pointed to happiness exhibited by the children at the retreat.

Two bouncy Castles, a petting zoo, merry-go-round, slides, clowns and a live steel band were part of the day’s entertainment while food was provided Horace’s Garden Restaurant, Farah Street, San Fernando.