The Opposition joined the government Wednesday to pass the Children's Bill in the House of Representatives, with the legislation getting 37 votes in favour of it.
During the debate Minister of the People Glenn Ramadharsingh noted that there is a crisis among children, noting that calls to a national student hotline almost quadrupled last year.
During the debate Minister of the People Glenn Ramadharsingh noted that there is a crisis among children, noting that calls to a national student hotline almost quadrupled last year.
The minister noted that because of the tragic deaths involving children, Government decided to use the service provided by an organisation called Child Line, which had a hotline service.
"It was after one of those tragic situations that the Minister of Child Development and myself quadrupled the contribution to Child Line and made the hotline a 24-hour service...And when we made it a 24-hour service, I am now being told that we have up to 35,000 calls being generated in the last year," he said.
"The child (who calls) is in a confused state. The child does not even understand what is happening to him or her. They call out of confusion, sadness and depression, and recognising that this is a number they can call," he said.
He said his cabinet colleague, Child Development Minister Verna St Rose Greaves, has been asking every school principal to let children know the hotline number "so that our children who are suffocating can now have a voice."
The seven-digit hotline number in Trinidad is 800-4321.
Ramadharsingh also spoke about the government's moves to fulfill one of its promises - poverty alleviation. He stated that the needy are getting smart cards while at the same time his ministry is eliminating abuse in the system.
He said the ministry is aware of the fact that some people have food cards who do not qualify. He illustrated his point by describing a typical stereotype.
"Those persons who are swiping food cards while they have their SUV pumping heavy music outside. Big rims, fancy rims, mag wheels, tinted glass, music pounding and they jump out of the SUV and swiping food card. We want to eliminate these people...We have already taken out 4,000 persons who did not belong."
He said his government will give those cards to 4,000 people who need and deserve them.
Ramadharsingh also said many people are helping thmeselves and getting off the dependency on the card system by finding employment. He said a major supermarket had given a commitment to hire a percentage of the differently-abled community in jobs such as packing.
"It was after one of those tragic situations that the Minister of Child Development and myself quadrupled the contribution to Child Line and made the hotline a 24-hour service...And when we made it a 24-hour service, I am now being told that we have up to 35,000 calls being generated in the last year," he said.
"The child (who calls) is in a confused state. The child does not even understand what is happening to him or her. They call out of confusion, sadness and depression, and recognising that this is a number they can call," he said.
He said his cabinet colleague, Child Development Minister Verna St Rose Greaves, has been asking every school principal to let children know the hotline number "so that our children who are suffocating can now have a voice."
The seven-digit hotline number in Trinidad is 800-4321.
Ramadharsingh also spoke about the government's moves to fulfill one of its promises - poverty alleviation. He stated that the needy are getting smart cards while at the same time his ministry is eliminating abuse in the system.
He said the ministry is aware of the fact that some people have food cards who do not qualify. He illustrated his point by describing a typical stereotype.
"Those persons who are swiping food cards while they have their SUV pumping heavy music outside. Big rims, fancy rims, mag wheels, tinted glass, music pounding and they jump out of the SUV and swiping food card. We want to eliminate these people...We have already taken out 4,000 persons who did not belong."
He said his government will give those cards to 4,000 people who need and deserve them.
Ramadharsingh also said many people are helping thmeselves and getting off the dependency on the card system by finding employment. He said a major supermarket had given a commitment to hire a percentage of the differently-abled community in jobs such as packing.
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