Strategic Review of Child Care Facilities Unnecessary - Hanna
Published:Monday | April 11, 2016 | 3:52 PMAndre Poyser
A plan by state minister in the youth ministry, Floyd Green, to undertake a strategic review of child-care facilities has not gained the support of Opposition Spokes-person on Youth Lisa Hanna.
"It's totally unnecessary and a duplication of efforts already completed," Hanna said.
Green had said the review would be undertaken to determine the inefficiencies and deficiencies in the management of children's homes, in order to determine the way forward for the facilities.
Hanna is of the view that the recommendations of various reports, including the Keating Report, are sufficient and should be fast-tracked for implementation.
"I discussed all of this with him when we met, including the fact that we have implemented all the recommendations in the Keating Report, except for one," she said.
2003 REPORT
The Keating Report, which had made 40 recommendations to improve the operation of children's homes, was completed in 2003 by a P.J. Patterson-commissioned assessment team. The four-member team was led by retired civil servant Sadie Keating.
Hanna has suggested that Green "focus on implementing the recommendations of the various reports, including the latest one submitted to his ministry in May of this year on the Sunshine Children's Home".
While admitting that he is aware of recommendations contained in several reports and audits that have already been done, Green has insisted that the
review is needed.
"I think the strategic review of the homes has to do more with the direction ... we have to look at the direction and as I meet with the Child Development Agency, we also have to look at residential care and our foster-care services. I think the review will have to be all-encompassing in how we, as a new Government, formulate our child services to ensure that those children who come in our care, what is the best formula for them," he said.