We welcome an increasingly progressive tendency on the part of the State towards children often referred to as “troubled”.

In the latest case, we hear that the Government, through Education Minister Ms Fayval Williams, has tabled a Bill in Parliament aimed at bringing an end to the unwholesome practice of locking up children who have not committed a criminal offence but who have been deemed “uncontrollable”.

True to the snail-like pace at which Government moves it has taken three years for the proposed amendment to the Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA) to be tabled. But, as the old saying goes: Better late than never.

We are told that once the amended legislation is passed children with serious behavioural issues could be cared for in a residential or non-residential child therapeutic facility, depending on the results of a social inquiry report and a physiological or psychiatric report. That’s instead of being sent to a penal institution as sometimes happens now.

Ms Williams tells us that the amendment will facilitate Jamaica’s compliance with “international treaties on child justice and child rights, and establish a fairer and more equitable means of treating with cases involving children exhibiting behavioural challenges”.

The practice of putting children in correctional centres, though they have committed no crime, has long been criticised because of the obvious injustice. And also because such children placed in penal institutions can easily fall under the sway of others locked away for serious crimes.

We are reminded by our story published Thursday that, back in 2013, Children’s Advocate Mrs Diahann Gordon Harrison recommended that any allegedly “uncontrollable” child should “necessarily be subjected to an assessment by a forensic psychiatric professional. The objective of this exercise would be to detect whether there are any underlying causal factors, such as untreated post-traumatic stress disorders, and for suitable treatment options to be pursued in relation to the child’s needs”.

In sync with the latest proposed legislative amendment, we note Thursday’s opening of a non-residential therapeutic centre, to go with a residential therapeutic centre in Windsor, St Ann.

Back in late April we had applauded National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang following his announcement of special attention and social interventions for children up to 17 years old — some of whom were being channelled into criminal behaviour by unscrupulous, manipulative adults.

Dr Chang said at the time that the project — which would target schools in, or close to seven communities with zones of special operations — involved a multi-agency approach to improve school attendance, behaviour, literacy, and the overall management of schools.

We believe that the latest proposed amendment to protect children fits in well with other initiatives such as that announced by Dr Chang in April.

Crucially, as we have often said in this space, the assistance of the community — not just the family — needs to be actively embraced.

Sometimes, all that’s needed to resolve problems that would otherwise fall in the lap of the State is positive community activism.