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Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Parents' non-cooperation hampers help for street kids: social welfare
THE reluctance of parents to cooperate with agencies concerned in promoting children's welfare is one of the reasons why the problem on street children could not fully be addressed, a social welfare official said on Tuesday.
Alvin Tanicala, officer-in-charge of the General Services Office (GSO) of the social welfare department, said the agency could not extend full assistance to families of children loitering along the city's streets because their parents refuse to cooperate with them.
He said some families refuse to work with them, claiming they do not need the agency's intervention in protecting the welfare of their children. He added that some parents believed that their children stay on the streets to earn a living.
"But we believe that children should not be on the streets, that is why we want to know the root of the problem so we could introduce measures to address this. But some parents do not want to cooperate with us, saying they are fine," Tanicala said.
He said the number of streetchildren in the city is alarming, but the situation is not (yet) desperate.
The social welfare department last year provided assistance to some 300 streetchildren and their families. It is moving for the creation of a more concrete policy to address the problem on streetchildren, both those living in the city and those who come from other places. (JC)
(August 23, 2006 issue)
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