Acting Executive Director of the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) Karlene Degrasse-Deslandes is imploring parents, teachers and caregivers at early childhood institutions to pay more attention to the safety and security of the children in their care.

“The safety of our children is our priority at the ECC and we therefore strongly urge all parents and ECI (early childhood institution) practitioners to take extra precaution in looking out for them,” she said in a statement.

Degrasse-Deslandes said the ECC’s standards for the operation, management and administration of early childhood institutions makes provisions for child safety. This is in keeping with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to “uphold the rights of children, protect them from harm, and ensure that all children have equal access to services”.

She noted further that Section 6 (3) of the Child Care and Protection Act mandates any individual who works closely with a child to report any situation in which they have reason to believe that child is in danger.

“A prescribed person who, in the discharge of that person’s duties, acquires information that ought reasonably to cause that person to suspect that a child (a) has been, is being or is likely to be, abandoned, neglected or, physically or sexually ill-treated; or (b) is otherwise in need of care and protection, shall make a report to the (Office of the Children’s) Registry,” the section says.

The ECC is also reminding parents that they have a responsibility to safeguard their children, and not to leave them unattended, in keeping with the provisions of Articles 6, 11, 34 and 35 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

— JIS