Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Robert Morgan, has enlisted the help of Members of Parliament (MPs) to further encourage the use of the 211 hotline to report incidents of child abuse.

Morgan, the MP for Clarendon North Central, solicited the help of his fellow parliamentarians during his recent contribution to the State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives.

The 24-hour hotline which was launched virtually in September is free of cost whether dialed from a cellular phone or landline. It is a confidential means of reporting incidents of child abuse or to seek help concerning children.

Morgan stressed that as an advocate who is fighting for the rights of children, he felt the need to further bolster the use of the 211 hotline by providing information packages on the reporting tool for distribution by MPs to their constituents.

The packages, which Morgan noted will serve to encourage constituents to report child abuse, include stickers and business cards.

“I am also giving you some posters to put in your constituency office so that you can be a partner in carrying the message to rescue our children,” Morgan said.

The new hotline was organised through a collaborative effort of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) and the education ministry. It replaces the 888-PROTECT hotline.

The hotline is being operated by trained officers who will ask key questions to determine what kind of abuse a child is facing, the level of urgency and which entity is best suited to investigate the report.

In addition to the CPFSA investigation unit, the Office of the Children’s Advocate and several units of the Jamaica Constabulary Force will have access to investigate reports issued.