In order to comply effectively with the minimum operational standards recently launched by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security many orphanages said they would need more money.
Stabroek News contacted several of the homes and while all conceded that the standards and regulations are a good initiative and long overdue many said they would need more money to comply. However, they did acknowledge that the ministry has promised to help them where needed and to get other ministries onboard, but at least one manager of a home is somewhat sceptical about this promise, as, according to her, “politicians always make promises but you are not sure if they would be kept”.
At the launching Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand, had stated that her ministry would assist where necessary but had indicated that many of the standards and regulations did not need financing for compliance, but rather just some effort by those in charge.
Meanwhile, one home contacted by this newspaper did not have the booklet of minimum standards and regulations in its possession. The person in charge was not sure where she could get one and turned to this newspaper for help. She indicated that the home was unable to send a representative, to the launching and was not sure what was included in the booklet.
Sister Beatrice Fernandes of the St Ann’s Girl Orphanage praised the move by the ministry, calling it good and long overdue. However, she indicated that some of standards and regulations required too much paperwork. She said her staff need to respond to many demands in person and as such may not be able to focus on the paperwork. “But I agree that it is a positive thing and it is needed of many homes such as cleanliness,” she said,
Gladys Accra of the Joshua Children’s Centre agreed that the launching of the booklet was a good thing but said it was a “future thing” since it would take some time to implement some of the changes. She cited the need for financial and human resources help as there were many things being asked for them to get done. She said while some of the standards were already in place at her home she would need help with others.
Over at the St John Bosco Boys Orphanage there would be no difficulty complying with the standards and regulations as most if not all are already in place at the home. According to Grace Daniels at the home, because orphanages were involved in the formulating of the booklet it should not be difficult for them to comply with all the listed requirements.
Daniels said St John Bosco had been around for over 100 years and had very high standards. She said that during the workshops, many of the things persons were asking for at homes were already in place at St John. “So it is good for them to enforce what has been happening in some of the more established homes, at all the homes,” she said.
Deoram Timram, who is in charge of the Hauruni Girls Home, agreed that the regulations and standards are a positive move but said that they would need the injection of money into the home to get them done. He pointed out that many of the homes are privately managed and they depend on donations for their very survival.
For example, Timram said, homes are required to have a certain amount of staff members to a certain number of children. He said that for this to be done they would need more money to pay those staff members.
And while, he said, according to Guyanese standards the Hauruni Girls Home fed its children proper meals, it would need more money to comply with standard number 17, which deals with food and nutrition.
That standard requires that homes provide children with “a balanced diet of satisfactory quality in sufficient quantities, the preparation of which, wherever practicable and suitable, is influenced by the choices and preferences of the children.” It also states that the withdrawal of food should never use as a disciplinary measure.
Timram said it would be ideal for them to hone in on children’s talents by sending them to special schools when they are of a certain age as all of them are not academically inclined but they don’t have the money to do so. “We would also love to take the children on tours but we don’t have the finance.”
Standards and
Regulations
There are some 25 standards and regulations that the homes are asked to comply with.
One such is hygiene, which includes that children are always clean and the home is cleaned and well maintained with specific cleaning routines and accessible cleaning material. The homes are also asked to always monitor the children’s health through regular medical checks and to provide a safe, adequate and secure physical environment for the children to cultivate a domestic, instead of an institutional, atmosphere, facilitating internal and external interaction. All homes should be registered and should co-operate with the Child Protection Agency in working to improve standards and delivery of care to children and should be overseen by a management committee that is accountable for the welfare and care of the children.
Further, the standards stipulate that the homes are administered by a suitable and qualified person in charge who should be supported by able administrative and support staffers, who will work with and under the direction of the management committee to ensure efficient and comprehensive delivery of care to the children.
It is also hoped that the homes’ staff would include a sufficient amount of personnel with competencies appropriate to their responsibilities to fulfil the home’s mission and implement the standards. The homes should aim to successfully reintegrate each child into their family and community at the earliest opportunity and that each child has a care plan and that all, including the children, should collaborate to craft, publicise and adhere to a mission statement or statement of philosophy and purpose.
Each home is required to have in place security measures along with emergency procedures that take all necessary precautions to protect children from fire, flood and the elements and provides a safe living and work environment.
And home rules should reinforce socially acceptable behaviours and ensure that disciplinary responses accord with the rights of the children and are applied in an impartial manner.
Homes are also asked to have in place codes of conduct and hold consultations with the children during which they should be heard and their opinions sought over key decisions which are likely to affect their daily lives and future.
Children should be encouraged and allowed to practice their own religion without hindrance while all must attend school and should be allowed recreational time with participation in sport and leisure activities.
The compliance of the homes will be monitored by a voluntary visiting committee which will visit homes in groups of three and give regular reports to the ministry and the ministry’s homes’ inspector.
