Natasha Singh, WIN MP, issued a demand today for an independent audit of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA). Singh cited what she termed a startling disconnect between significant government spending and the harrowing reality facing the nation’s children. By way of a statement, she called for the immediate convening of the Social Services Sectoral Committee of Parliament to address what she described as a pandemic of child abuse that current systems are failing to contain.
The call for reform follows a granular review of the CPA’s performance between 2023 and 2026. According to the analysis, the Agency received over $1.2 billion in funding during this four-year period. However, despite this heavy financial injection, more than 16,000 cases of abuse were reported in the same timeframe. While the Minister of Human Services and Social Security recently suggested that abuse cases are on the decline, Singh noted that the records indicate a reduction of less than 1% per year. She questioned whether fewer reported cases truly mean fewer incidents or if many cases remain unseen and unresolved, stating that the country is not receiving value for its investment in children.
The MP highlighted several recent tragedies that she argues are symptoms of systemic leadership and operational failures. These include the death of teenage mother Aleena Preetam and the stabbing of Tiana Chapman, as well as the vulnerability of indigenous pre-teens brought to the capital to deliver babies. Singh also pointed to instances of operational misconduct, such as footage of Child Protection officers dragging a student through the streets, and criticized delayed justice in cases involving educators. She argued that the CPA has become reactive, often only intervening after public outcries on social media rather than through proactive oversight.
To ensure the safety of the next generation, WIN has laid out two primary demands to the National Assembly. First, the Speaker must convene the Social Services Sectoral Committee to address the crisis. Second, a comprehensive, external audit of the CPA must be conducted, with the findings presented directly to the Parliamentary Committee to ensure transparency. Singh ended her statement by emphasizing that investing in nationhood requires protecting the most vulnerable, and without urgent reform, the country risks failing an entire generation of Guyanese children.
