The Community Child Protection Programme

The Community Child Protection Programme is a formal forum set up on a district wise basis as well as at grassroots level to ensure community development with respect to child protection and welfare.

 This programme will allow for interplay of dynamic top down and bottom up forces to provide for equilibrium in an otherwise open system.  It will act as a recipient of information, education and communication campaign as well as empowerment processes.

Objectives of the CCPP:  create awareness and opportunities for appropriate “home grown” capacity building for people interested in working for the welfare of children.  encourage and enable prevention rather than reacting to cases of child abuse and neglect as well as violence against children.  act as a surveillance mechanism to identify children at risk and victims of abuse.

 encourage the reporting of any suspected case of child abuse to the Ministry where appropriate remedial action is initiated.  arouse national consciousness on the problem of child abuse, neglect and violence against children.  encourage solidarity and a co-ordinated approach to the problem of child abuse.  better protect children against risks of degradation of international environment.

 involve community action in the prevention of child abuse and rehabilitation of children, victims of abuse and neglect.  ensure better handling and monitoring of cases reported to the Ministry through case conferencing at FSB level and through Area Child Protection Committees that will feed into a National Child Protection Committee chaired by the Minister.

 ensure that the community owns child protection projects and activities and also understand the notion of accountability with respect to violence against children.  allow for interface and mediation between service provider and service user.  To enable timely evaluation of Child Protection Policies.  To inculcate a culture of non-violence as per the child rights based perspective within families and communities

The Main Components of the CCPP

The District Child Protection Committee

The District Child Protection committee:  will have the responsibility to take cognizance, discuss, review and monitor situations/conditions leading to abuse and neglect in children within the district.  will work on formulating programmes, activities, and awareness campaigns to empower the community in the identification, referral and follow-up of child abuse cases.  will work towards enlisting the collaboration and participation of the community in the fight against child abuse

The National Child Protection Committee

This committee will:  coordinate and monitor the work of the District Child Protection Committees and the Community Child Watch to develop  work on policies to review and monitor procedures for inter- agency work for the protection of children.  make appropriate recommendations to ensure coordinations and concrete actions including training/IEC campaigns in relation to child protection.

Composition of the National Child Protection Committee:  High level officers of Ministries  Representatives of District Child Protection Committees

The District Child Protection Committee will comprise of representatives of:  Local authorities  Citizens’ Advice Bureaus  Forces Vives  Religious bodies  Parent Teachers’ Associations  Police Department  Non-Governmental Organisations  School Social Workers  Women Associations

The Community Child Watch

The Community Child Watch will be set up in the immediate locality of high risk areas to ensure early detection and reporting of child at risk cases.

The Case Conference at Regional Child Development Unit level.

Review and monitoring of cases by Officers of the Ministry to:  expediate as far as possible the lessening of trauma.  trigger early rehabilitation of children victims of abuse and neglect.

The Case Conference will comprise of:  Family Welfare & Protection Officers  Psychologists  Police Officers attached to the Child Development Unit

The Area Child Protection Committee

It is an inter-agency forum comprising of regional stakeholders who will work on the safeguard of the interest of children through better collaboration and coordination in the handling of cases. It will also ensure that different services and professional groups work effectively for the cause of the child on a regional basis.

The Area Child Protection Committee will comprise of representatives of:  Ministry of Health & Quality of Life  Ministry of Education & Human Resources  Ministry of Social Security  The State Law Office  The Probation & After Care  The Police Department – Brigade des Mineurs

Launching of the Community Child Protection Programme Child development Unit Ministry of Women’s Rights, Child Development, Family Welfare & Consumer Protection 27 August 2007