Parents advised to be particular about time spent with kids – Skyy Power FM

In the wake of children getting missing in and around Sekondi-Takoradi, parents have been advised to have time for their children in order to curb the menace. Just recently, the news of a ten year(10) year old girl who was abducted by a 40-year-old and later found out had been defiled circulated everywhere.

To that effect, Skyy News paid a visit to the Social Welfare and Community Development Department of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly.

In an exclusive interview with Skyy News, the Metro-Director of the Social Welfare and Community Development Department for STMA, Madam Constance Baiden enumerated the duties of her office. According to her, the department seeks the welfare of children, older people, and people with disability. She went on to talk about the core mandates of their work.

Madam Constance Baiden made it known that the department is in charge of child protection and protection, justice administration, community care, and LEAP. “We also have a community development aspect where we deal with groups. We provide skills training and also do sensitization”, she said.

Madam Constance Baiden however pointed out the challenges her outfit is seeing. She cited the unavailability of vehicles to
go about their duties. She also spoke about funding being a hindrance to performing their duties effectively. “We have a program that UNICEF is supporting us but that one if the money doesn’t come it means the one that you’ve exhausted you’ll not have enough”, she added.

When asked about the recent cases of missing children being predominant in our society, Madam Constance Baiden attributed the menace to parents’ loosed supervision offlate. She also said, that unlike before, society used to support parents in bringing up their children but now the sense of belonging has broken.”At first, we all cared for each other, if I see your child doing something wrong I can discipline the child but now go and discipline someone’s child and you will see. The values have been broken”, she explained.

Madam Constance Baiden in her final words admonished parents to be more particular about their parenting style and also called on all members of the society to collaborate with parents so that the children can be looked after well.

In an appeal for support from the general public, Madam Constance Baiden called on NPOs(Non-Profit Organisations to help with vehicles, funding, and facilities for street children. “Children need to grow with families so we also need volunteers to become foster parents so that when we have some of these children, they can stay with them temporarily”, she ended with.

Source: Samuel Yeboah Adams