ALL caregivers should ensure the safety and well-being of children at all times.
This is the advice being given by the Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago.
In a statement on Thursday, the Authority extended condolences to the family of two-year-old Romelu Drakes who drowned in a pool on Tuesday at his speech therapy school in Esperanza, Couva.
The Authority stated, “The public is reminded that collaboration is key for the protection and safety of children. Therefore, the Authority is appealing to communities, caregivers and families to work together to provide safe, stable, and nurturing environments that are in the best interest of our nation’s children.”
With the upcoming Easter holidays, the Authority issued some tips for parents and caregivers to follow.
Children should not be left unsupervised in vehicles, they should be left in the care of an adult, who is a trusted person, children should be monitored at all times when at the beach or a swimming pool and never allowed a child to go into the water alone. All precaution must be taken to avoid easy access to open waters (buckets, tanks, or pools) and dangerous substances. And a family plan should be developed to determine who will monitor the children during family outings, including mall visits.
Additionally, the public is reminded that “Child Protection Is Everybody’s Business”, therefore, all suspicions or incidents of abuse, neglect or children at-risk should be reported to the police at 999 or the Authority’s hotlines at 996 or 800-2014.
