Parents urged to keep children safe from abuse, neglect in event of disaster

Child protection and emergency services are ready to respond to cases of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence against children in the aftermath of a disaster, the director of the Child Care Board (CCB) RoseAnn Richards has assured.

However, she has urged parents and guardians to put measures in place to ensure their charges are in a safe and secure environment and not exposed to such situations, in the event that Barbados is affected by a storm this Atlantic hurricane season.

Delivering remarks at a press conference at the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) headquarters on Wednesday, a day before the start of the season, Richards stressed that preparation must be made for children even before an event occurs.

“It includes guaranteeing that children receive all necessary assistance that is required for their safety and well-being at this time, protecting children from maltreatment, and ensuring their survival and well-being during and after the disaster. Children are a vulnerable group; they are very dependent on adults and we need to care for them more at this time,” she said.

Richards pointed out that during an emergency, several factors increase a child’s vulnerability. She said displacement, relocation, separation from family and community, loss of a loved one or even a pet, losing their home and possessions, lack of safety, and reliance on humanitarian assistance might expose children to violence, exploitation and abuse.

The CCB director stressed that assisting children during an emergency has to be facilitated through careful intervention, meeting their immediate needs and protecting them from harm.

“Parents are vital and critical. They need to talk to their children about the disaster before and after. I would suggest that they need to listen to all of the information that is put out by the Department of Emergency Management because a lot of PSA [Public Service Announcements] are put out there where parents can get information, and they need to follow that. Parents need to look at the things they need to do before and ensure children are planned for,” she advised.

“If you are going to pack an emergency bag, ensure that that child or those children are also prepared for it. Some children are diabetics and some are asthmatics, so therefore you need to make sure that you have their medication in place as well.

“And if you have to go into an emergency shelter, you need to help your child or your children to acclimatise to that shelter. You need to keep your eyes on them, you need to be vigilant because a lot of things can happen in an emergency shelter,” Richards added. (AH)