Government to construct homes for at risk and abused children

The Ministry of National Mobilization has been mandated to construct two homes for at risk children in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

This was highlighted by Minister of National Mobilization, Orando Brewster in response to a question in Parliament last Thursday February, 22, 2024.

The minister said that by the end of March two homes should be ready, one for boys and the other for girls.

He said the homes would cater for children between the ages of 10 to 17 years of age who have behavioural disorders, and also children under the age of 16 who are in conflict with the law and those on remand in court matters.

The Minister added that his ministry has also been mandated to establish a Children at risk Intervention Agency Committee to monitor the various interventions given to children at risk.

This committee will include persons from the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of National Mobilization; the Police; and Mental Health officials, along with other interest groups.

The establishment of the two homes is part of government’s intervention to help abused and at risk children in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Last year, there were 241 cases of reported child abuse in St Vincent and the Grenadines, where the abuse was either, physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, psychological or financial.

Minister Brewster said in Parliament that the children in these reported cases last year, were between the ages of 11-14.

A total of 206 of these children received intervention by the state.

The previous year, 2022, the reported number of cases of child abuse was 190, but the age range of the victims was 8-10 years.