Grenada: The availability of facilities and social services for abandoned children
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 29 October 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GRD40182.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Grenada: The availability of facilities and social services for abandoned children, 29 October 2002, GRD40182.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4d9e3.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Please refer to GRD34358.E of 11 May 2000 for information regarding the Domestic Violence Bill and the Child Protection Act. GRD38200.E of 23 November 2001 provides an update to GRD32014.E of 31 May 1999 on state protection for abused children as well as information on who can admit a child to facilities for abused children and the presence and efficiency of government officials.
Briefing notes from a 9 April 2002 press conference held by the Honourable Cuthbert McQueen, Minister of Housing, Social Services, Culture & Co-operatives, lists the top four abuses against children in Grenada: 1. neglect; 2. physical and sexual abuse; 3. abandonment; and 4. witchcraft (Grenada 9 Apr.2002).
In an attempt to address these abuses against children, a Child Protection Committee was established in February 2001 and comprised namely of the Minister for Social Services, the Minister for Gender Affairs and the Attorney General (ibid. 2001). The terms and conditions of the Committee included:
[A]n investigation of the nature and scope of crimes committed against children and a review of the existing institutional, legal and regulatory framework for addressing the issue (ibid.).
After the Committee submitted its findings and recommendations to Cabinet in May 2001, the following changes occurred:
A Child Abuse 24-hour Hotline 677, was commissioned in October 2001.
The Child Welfare Authority (CWA) was strengthened by employing a Child Care Officer and provision was made in the 2002 Budget for the employment of a Director for the CWA.
The bill to amend the Child Protection Act of 1998 is before the Legal Draftsman.
Statistical data obtained from the inception of the Child Protection Hotline revealed that for 2001, a total of 114 cases of abuse were reported as compared to an average of 30 in previous years.
These findings ... indicated that there was heightened awareness of the public to report suspicious happenings related to child care and protection (ibid. 9 Apr. 2002).
Other recommendations made by the Child Protection Committee such as training initiatives, mandatory reporting of child abuse, and mandatory counseling, are currently being implemented (ibid.).
With regard to institutional support for abused children, a 2001 Report produced by Minister McQueen included a list of five institutions serving a total of 108 children who have been abused, orphaned, are physically or mentally challenged, or are juvenile delinquents (ibid. 2001). No institution dedicated specifically to abandoned children is mentioned in the report. The Grenada Red Cross Society is another organization with a mission to assist "the vulnerable" in Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique, although abandoned children are not specifically mentioned in the source (IFRC 2002).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Grenada. 2001. Ministry of Housing, Social Services, Culture & Co-operatives. "Grenada Country Report presented by Honourable Cuthbert McQueen." _____. 9 April 2002. "Press Briefing Notes for Minister of Housing, Social Services and Co-operatives." International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC). 2002. "Partnerships in Profile 2002-2003." Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
Unsuccessful attempts to contact the Grenadian Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Development
Internet sites, including:
AIDS Orphans Assistance Database
Amnesty International (AI)
CIDA. "Canadian Cooperation in the Caribbean: Grenada."
Civil Society Database. "The Caribbean Civil Society Database."
Freedom House. "Grenada."
Save the Children (UK)
United Nations (UN). "Committee on the Rights of the Child, Concluding Observations: Grenada, 28/02/2000."
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC). "Initial Reports of States Parties in 1992: Grenada" (28 Nov. 1997).
UNICEF
