Professionals trained in Child Safety Planning | SOUALIGA NEWSDAY

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - 42 professionals were trained in ‘Child Safety Planning’ to help equip them to support and guide children and families confronted with unsafe situations. Those invited included social workers, psychologists, school counsellors, the Court of Guardianship (CoG) staff, and other stakeholders who often act as first responders in suspected cases of child abuse. 

The training was held by the Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with UNICEF the Netherlands, as part of the Child Resilience and Protection Project. The main goal of the Child Safety Planning Training was to provide clear guidelines to professionals on the steps to be taken to identify, report, and follow up on suspected child abuse and neglect cases. 

The CoG is the “central reporting centre on child abuse” (CMK, Centraal Meldpunt Kindermishandeling) on the island. This means that all reports of possible abuse, however minor, should be shared with the CoG so that this can be filed and assessed, and action can be taken if needed.

However, Kimberly Dort-Brown, Head of the Court of Guardianship, notes: “It is important to realise that all professionals working with minors play a vital role in identifying and responding to suspicions of child abuse. This means that, for example, if a teacher has concerns about the safety and well-being of a child, this should first be discussed internally with the care team of the school. The social worker can talk with the parents, find out what is taking place, and work with the parents to address concerns. 
 
When all possibilities within the school system have been exhausted, the social worker (care team) can report to CoG. The main goal of safety planning is to create a safe (parenting) situation for the child, where it is clear what concrete behaviour is needed from the child, parents, and their network to keep the child safe. The partnership is an important element in safety planning. During the training, professionals were trained on how to identify the risk factors and strengths of the family and make a plan with the family that includes safety goals, resulting in agreements that all those involved take responsibility for.” 
 
This activity is part of the Child Resilience and Projection Project (CRPP), executed by the Government of Sint Maarten, and funded by the Government of the Netherlands through the Sint Maarten Trust Fund managed by the World Bank.