Tobago Correspondent
Children in Tobago who need care and protection will now receive faster medical and social services under a new agreement between the Tobago Regional Health Authority, the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), and the Children’s Authority.
An MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) signed on Friday, at the Division of Health Wellness and Social Protection office in Scarborough, removes bureaucratic delays by allowing Children’s Authority officers to directly refer children for medical services within the TRHA, eliminating the need for repeated assessments and long waiting periods.
According to Health Secretary Dr Faith Brebnor this streamlined process ensures that vulnerable children receive timely care without unnecessary stress.
She said, “We needed to pay special attention to how we manage children in need of care and protection on the island, and we needed to do it with purpose and ensure we all understood our individual responsibilities.”
She said the collaboration represents a shift “from fragmented services to a unified approach,” where agencies no longer pass off responsibility but work together to safeguard Tobago’s children.
According to Children’s Authority chairman Sheldon Cyrus, this agreement marks a milestone in child protection efforts in Tobago as it ensures that children in crisis receive the support they need without unnecessary obstacles.
He said the agreement, built on the National Interagency Protocol for Child Abuse Prevention and Management, brings together 40-50 agencies to clarify roles and prevent duplication of efforts.
Since 2018, the authority has worked to establish this framework, which Cyrus said ensures a coordinated approach to safeguarding children. He credited the Secretary of Health and other stakeholders for making the MoU, the first of its kind, a reality.
He said, “Even though we are an agency of the state, we put a lot of care into what we do. Sweat, tears go into what we do because we appreciate the sensitivity of everything that goes into all our operations.
“The consequence of not getting it right is too great because it’s the life of a child.”
