WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao government must take urgent action to better protect the rights of children and young people living in residential care facilities under government responsibility, according to the Ombudsman following an investigation into conditions at the institutions.
The Ombudsman is calling particularly on the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Social Development, Labor and Welfare (SOAW) to take immediate measures to ensure that children placed outside their family homes receive the protection and care to which they are entitled.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children who cannot grow up with their parents are entitled to special protection and assistance from the government.
According to the Ombudsman, greater awareness of those rights is needed among both employees and young residents of Curaçao’s residential care institutions.
One of the recommendations is therefore to introduce regular training on children's rights for staff and young people. The information and training should be available in all of Curaçao’s official languages to ensure that children can understand their rights and know what protections are available to them.
The Ombudsman also says residential institutions need sufficient financial resources to recruit and retain qualified personnel. At the same time, Curaçao must ensure that enough appropriate residential capacity is available for children who cannot remain at home.
According to the recommendations, that care should be provided in a safe environment that resembles a family setting as much as possible.
The Ombudsman also wants children's rights to become a formal consideration when the government develops new legislation or takes policy decisions affecting minors. This should be done through an official children's rights assessment that examines the potential consequences of government decisions for young people.
Another area requiring improvement is the complaints procedure.
The Ombudsman is calling for a clear and uniform system through which children in residential care can file complaints and raise concerns about their treatment or living conditions.
Attention should also extend beyond the period children spend in an institution. The Ombudsman says young people leaving residential care need better guidance and support as they transition toward independent living.
The recommendations place responsibility on the government not merely to provide a place for vulnerable children to stay, but to ensure that their rights, safety, development and future prospects are adequately protected throughout their time in care and when they leave the system.