Zero-tolerance approach to children on the streets – Min. Persaud reaffirms

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security will be cracking down on parents who neglect their children resulting in them being exposed to the dangers that lurk on the roadways.

During an interview with the media on Thursday, Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud urged parents to take their responsibility seriously.

Due to the many child neglect cases which are being tackled by the ministry, Minister Persaud explained that additional consultations are being held with parents to address the social scourge.

“On the streets, we’ve been working with children, picking them up. We’ve managed to remove over 40 of those children… This year we are going to have zero tolerance for children on the streets,” the minister emphasised.

The Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) primarily deals with these matters and has recognised that in many instances, children have guardians.

“We have found that 99 per cent of those children have homes, have parents and they are on the streets for one reason or the other. We want the parents to understand that this is not to punish you, but this is to make you recognise you have a duty to your children and you should be cognisant of that,” Dr. Persaud stated.

This social issue is being tackled through the ‘Street Light’ initiative which was launched last September.

The initiative comprises officers from both the CCPA and the Guyana Police Force patrolling communities across the country to ensure children are kept off the streets.