Tag: Department of Children and Family Services
Budget under pressure from those in need
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has agreed to look at increasing the ex gratia pension paid to retired civil servants, though Social Development Minister André Ebanks warned that this might be very difficult, given the budget constraints caused by the recent increase in long-term financial assistance payments. These stipends were recently increased from CI$950 to […]
Care home hit with COVID outbreak
(CNS): A number of both staff and residents at Maple House have tested positive for COVID-19 and all those impacted have been moved to an undisclosed location, officials have said. Few details have been revealed about the outbreak, which was revealed as part of the routine lateral flow testing at the residential care facility for […]
Ministry name change points to new ethos
(CNS): The ministry area previously named community affairs is now known as social development, which reflects the goal to “assist, enhance and socially develop the lives of the clients” at the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), according to Minister Andre Ebanks, who visited the department last week at Apollo House East on Mary […]
One-off vouchers go to WP holders in need
(CNS): As government works on arranging airlifts for stranded foreign workers, now without jobs and unable to look after themselves, some of those in desperate need began receiving one-off food vouchers this week, each worth $150. The first vouchers were handed out Tuesday and more will be handed out Thursday. A total of 76 applications, […]
Sunrise Cottage residents moved east to west
(CNS Local Life): The six residents of Sunrise Cottage, the oldest of the Department of Children and Family Services’ (DCFS) live-in facilities for seniors, were moved out of their East End home and into the Golden Age Home in West Bay last month, as part of a plan to build a new residence in the […]
New head of Children and Family Services
(CNS): Following recent revelations that the director of the Cayman Islands Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Felicia Robinson, had resigned after just two years on the job, the Ministry of Community Affairs has already undertaken a recruitment process and appointed Paulinda Mendoza-Williams to the post. Mendoza-Williams was one of the architects of both the […]
Family Centre leads campaign against gender violence
(CNS): The Department of Counselling Services’ Family Resource Centre has begun its annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign, which runs until 10 December, and is calling on people to take part in the Clothesline Project this Wednesday. Health Minister Dwayne Seymour noted that domestic violence spikes in December and the campaign raised awareness […]
New community affairs boss to staff up NAU
(CNS): Two additional staff members have been hired to work at the Needs Assessment Unit, starting today, Monday, the new acting chief officer with responsibility for community affairs, Teresa Echenique, told staff on a tour of the NAU last Wednesday. She said that efforts would also be made to fill other vacant positions to ensure […]
DCFS boss says law boosted child abuse workload
(CNS): The number of reported cases of children being neglected or abused and at risk in some way has increased significantly since the introduction of mandatory reporting under the children’s law. Speaking recently to the Public Accounts Committee, Felicia Robinson, the director of the Department of Children and Family Services said that child protection was […]
Novice MLA walks out of PAC
(CNS): The newly elected opposition member for Bodden Town West, Chris Saunders, was clearly frustrated during Wednesday’s Public Accounts Committee when he realised that the proceedings were not going to offer any immediate solutions for his constituents in need and walked out. Saunders said he needed to help a family who had been made homeless […]
New CoP orders external review of child abuse cases
(CNS): Following an RCIPS internal audit of all open child abuse cases in the Cayman Islands, triggered by a recent court case where the failure by the police to investigate a serious complaint of child sex abuse became apparent, an external review has been commissioned by the new police commissioner, Derek Byrne. Three officers from the […]
