KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Youth and Culture Lisa Hanna has called on public and private sector individuals, groups and organisations to get more involved in the Ananda Alert missing children recovery programme to ensure the further success of the system.
Speaking at a press conference held by the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR) at Jamaica House on Friday, September 6, Hanna highlighted the need for a collaborative approach in dealing with reducing the number of children going missing and those being abused.“If we all assist we can create a strong network that will prove to be a valuable and useful tool in reducing the number of children who go missing and drastically increasing the numbers who are found and returned to their families safely,” Hanna said, noting that parents too have significant roles to play in the process.According to Hanna, the Government continues to forge new partnerships with key players even as her Ministry seeks to strengthen relationships that already exist in an effort to fulfil the administration’s commitment to seriously addressing the issue of child safety and reducing and preventing child abuse.Hanna added that her Ministry, through the OCR, is seeking to create a more effective public advisory system for the Ananda Alert programme. The system, she said, will include public education on the safety of children, consistent and real time dissemination of complete profiles of missing children including names, age, photographs, along with other pertinent information, and an update on those children who have returned home.“The OCR continues to make great strides in carrying out its mandate as a key player in caring for and protecting the nation’s children. Much of its success has been achieved through the OCR’s continuous drive to educate the public about child safety and child abuse prevention and reporting,” said Hanna.The Ananda Alert Missing Children Recovery Programme has been allocated $6.7 million which Hanna said will facilitate greater operational efficiency. As a result of the increased budgetary allocation by the Government, staff for the Ananda Alert programme is being increased and more resources are being invested in public education.Hanna said that between January 1, and August 23, this year the total number of children reported missing was 1,518 with 1,297 returning home.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserverView the original article here
Hanna calls for private sector assistance in Ananda Alert programme
