Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

LIGHTBOURNE

A cloud of concerns surrounded the passage of the Child Care and Protection Regulations in the Senate on Friday.

The two pieces of legislation, which will strengthen the parent act - the Child Care and Protection Act of 2004, drew concerns from both sides in the Senate. Opposition Senator, Dorothy Lightbourne was very criticalof the delay in bringing the regulations to Parliament.

She also reiterated the need for a Children's Registry.

She further pointed out that the regulations made no mention of psychological testing of caregivers in children's homes.

"Persons applying to work in the children's home, apart from the various certificates that they needed to provide, I thought that there should be some psychological testing of persons - some sort of testing on how they would relate and react to children," she said.

Ongoing training

Ms. Lightbourne, who is also Opposition Spokesperson in the Senate on Children Issues, said these problems do not usually show up until they are left with the children and advocated for ongoing training for persons working in these homes.

Meanwhile, Government Senator Noel Monteith added that the regulations also made no mention of oral abuse of children.

"Because sometimes what you say to a child (can) even have (a) more lasting effect on a child than a little slap," he said. "Everyone likes to jump on corporal punishment ... when somebody tell them that they are 'no good' and 'idiots' and the type of effects it had on them for over long period in their lives."

REPORTS

Responding to Senator Lightbourne's criticism on the delay in bringing the legislation to Parliament, Government Leader in the Upper House, Senator A.J. Nicholson, said while he agreed that the Children's Registry should have been in place, it was not true to say if the registry is not in place, there will be no reports.

"I don't agree when a Senator says that or anything to suggest that we are not serious about the said. "That can't be right, we are serious about it, but all of this is a work-in-progress, protection of children is a problem all across the globe, it is not easy."

Responding to other issues raised in the chamber, Senator Nicholson promised that the concerns would be referred to the Child Development Agency.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com