Help For Children Cayman have given seven local charities US$250,000 to prevent and treat child abuse through hedge Funds Care (HFC)

The Cayman Island Grants are:

2013-2014

The Cayman Islands Crisis Centre (CICC) – The Children and Youth Programme (CI $30,000)

The CICC is a Cayman non-profit providing a 24-hour toll free crisis line, emergency shelter for abused women and their children, public education about domestic abuse and sexual assault, and an aftercare program.  The Children and Youth Programme targets school aged children who have been abused or have witnessed abuse and who accompany their mothers to the CICC Emergency Shelter Program. HFC Cayman funds will support group and individual intervention for children while they are at the shelter as well as the implementation of a public awareness campaign.  http://www.cicc.ky/

Cayman Islands Red Cross – “Protection Starts Here” Campaign (CI$19,500)

Cayman Islands Red Cross is a branch of the British Red Cross with a mission to protect human dignity by helping vulnerable people in crisis. The “Protection Starts Here” Campaign is a child sexual abuse prevention project targeting youth workers, volunteers, and adults in the community. The primary goal of the project is to increase understanding and knowledge of child sexual abuse in order to prevent its occurrence. HFC Cayman funds will fund public service announcements in the local media, creation of a DVD tool, and child sexual abuse prevention trainings for youth-serving organizations. www.redcross.org.ky

Department of Children and Family Services/Royal Cayman Islands Police Service – Central Referral Unit (CI $60,000)

The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) handles all criminal matters committed in the Cayman Islands. The RCIPS Family Support Unit provides inter-agency work and investigation into child neglect, sexual and physical abuse, and abuse against vulnerable adults. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is a government department that works with vulnerable individuals, families, and communities. TheCentral Referral Unit is a collaborative effort between RCIPS and DCFS to create one central point to serve abused children. HFC Cayman funds will support the Senior Social Worker at the Central Referral Unit.http://www.rcips.ky/

Department of Counselling Services – Family Resource Centre Administrative & Programme Support (CI $40,000)

The Department of Counselling Services is a governmental agency that provides high-quality, cost-effective counseling and treatment services in the Cayman Islands. The Family Resource Centre is a unit of DCS that works to strengthen family life and prevent domestic violence and child abuse through a variety of programs such as the Young Parent Services program for parenting and life skills training, and the FathersFirst program to empower fathers to become involved with their children. The Family Resource Centre also spearheads public awareness campaigns aimed to strengthen families and individuals. HFC Cayman funds will support the administrative staff to support the Family Resource Centre programs.

Health Services Authority – Child Sexual Abuse Intervention & Treatment Program (CI $40,000)

Health Services Authority is the primary health care services provider and administrator in the Cayman Islands. The Child Sexual Abuse Intervention & Treatment Program provides education, treatment, and counselling for child abuse victims and their families. The program also provides child abuse identification and treatment training for hospital staff, forensic data gathering, and collaborates with other government and non-governmental agencies for the protection and treatment of children. HFC Cayman funds will support half of a child psychologist’s full time salary. www.hsa.ky

Ministry of Education, Training, Employment, Youth, Sports & Culture – School-Based Study and Intervention for Children At-Risk for Child Abuse (Better Futures Project) (CI $10,000)

The Ministry of Education, Training, Employment, Youth, Sports & Culture is responsible for the provision of quality education to children enrolled within Cayman Islands schools. The Better Futures program provides young children with a comprehensive school-based child abuse prevention education. HFC Cayman funds will support the child abuse prevention training for private school teachers, the extension of the Behaviour and Education Support Team model to the private schools leadership of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Child Protection and consultation within the Cayman Island School on child abuse education and services.  http://www.brighterfutures.gov.ky/

National Council of Voluntary Organizations (NCVO) – Nadine Andreas Residential Foster Home (CI $10,000)

The National Council of Voluntary Organizations is a non-profit charitable organisation that helps community members struggling from economic hardship and child neglect and abuse, with a focus on helping children. The Nadine Andreas Residential Foster Home houses up to ten children ranging in age from birth to sixteen years of age who have been placed in care by the Department of Children and Family Services and the Courts because of maltreatment. HFC Cayman funds will support the Care Manager, who is responsible for the daily operation of the Foster Home and providing care to the residents, such as helping residents work toward family reunification or independent living.  http://ncvo.org.ky/

Help for Children Cayman was founded in 2005 as the second international affiliate of HFC. Since that time, a hard working Committee of Hearts has distributed over USD$1.8 million in 47 grants to agencies and organisations in Cayman that work to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect.

HFC Cayman has undoubtedly been a force for change locally in addressing attitudes surrounding child abuse and neglect in Cayman.  The group began by bringing together every child protection agency on the island in a forum to discuss the issues surrounding prevention, public awareness and service provision which gave the committee a platform for understanding where HFCC funds would be best placed and to provide the blueprint of a long term plan for child welfare here.

Since that time, great strides have been made in building awareness of the problem and the traumas inflicted; organisations are working together, forming alliances that cover specialised training of key employees and persons dealing with young victims of abuse; and specific personnel needs have been identified and met through Hedge Funds Care funding.

HFC Cayman is indebted to our academic advisor, Dr. Bart Grosman, and HFC staff who have been instrumental in assisting not only the Cayman grant-making committee, but also the agencies in Cayman in putting together projects that will meet our overall objective of obliterating child abuse and neglect in these islands.