Welfare Department being replaced by new Department of Family and Children Services

The Welfare and Social Service departments will soon be operating under one roof as the Government finalizes plans to create a new department in charge of these much-needed social programmes.

This announcement was made by Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, Kirk Humphrey, during Sunday’s Branch meeting of the St. Michael South Branch of the Barbados Labour Party, at the Graydon Sealy Secondary School.

“Very soon what we know as welfare and the other agencies will be replaced by a new agency called the Department of Family and Children Services in Barbados that will be meant to reduce the duplication and better care to you,” Humphrey said.

“We meet regularly and the document is almost finished and we are going to pull together all of the different departments in the Ministry of People’s Empowerment and bring all of the social services originated-sectors and institutions together to be able to better serve you and to be better able to respond.”

Humphrey explained the focus of the new department will be to, “Reduce the problems in Barbados, address your needs and to give you opportunities for advancement and to bring the services closer to the people.”

According to Humphrey, after receiving much compliments about the slow and inconsistent responses being experienced by locals as they try to access Welfare and other social services, Government has taken the step in finalizing a new streamlined department for Barbadians.

“So, hold on, we have heard you, we understand that your concerns are real and we are making changes to the department … Some of these social care services have so many cases sometimes that they are overburdened,” he said.  (SB)