Bolgatanga, July 2, GNA- Ms Mercy Pwavra, the Bolgatanga Municipal Director, Department of Community Development and Social Welfare, has urged parents to help protect their children from the risk of physical abuse, molestation and neglect.
She said growing reported maintenance cases, abuse and neglect were increasing and parents who were primary caregivers had to be responsive to the needs of their children.
Ms Pwavra made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
According to her, reported cases that reached her outfit could be avoided if all parents were up to the task of ensuring proper care of their children.
She said 40 maintenance cases had so far been recorded in 2021 as against 43 cases in the whole of 2020 and 50 cases in 2019.
She noted that in 2018 child abandonment and neglect cases in the Municipality were 23 while in 2019 recorded 69 cases and 2020 recorded 48 cases.
She said the trend of reported cases called for attention by parents to take primary responsibility for bringing up and protecting their children.
Since 2019, according to the director, the Government of Ghana had been making efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour in the country with significant interventions such as the Livelihood Empowerment Programme (LEAP) launched in 2008 as a flagship Social Protection programme targeting the most vulnerable and poor population.
She noted that the implementation of the programme which also ensures improved access to basic education for children had chalked a lot of success.
Meanwhile, there is a growing concern about the number of school dropouts and young school children who serve as head porters in the Bolgatanga market.
According to some traders and shoppers, the GNA interacted with, most of the children, between the ages of 12 and 15 years usually went to the market in the afternoon to sell shopping bags and assist those who patronize them to carry their loads for money.
Meanwhile, the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560) provides for the rights of the child and the duties and responsibilities of parents as maintenance and protection of the child.
