Minister of Social Development and Family Services, Senator Donna Cox, today received a courtesy call from Ambassador of TT to Washington, Phillip Spencer, at the Ministry’s Head Office on St. Vincent Street, Port of Spain. The meeting included cordial discussions on opportunities for exchange programmes and initiatives as well as greater collaboration to address social challenges faced by the vulnerable in our country.
Minister Cox took the opportunity to provide pertinent information about the Ministry’s various programmes and services, particularly the Sowing Empowerment Entrepreneurial Development (SEED) Programme. “Success as a Ministry is dependent on how many persons we have empowered. Therefore, the Ministry is constantly seeking ways to encourage resilience, enabling clients and beneficiaries to graduate from social support and transition into more self-sufficiency and a better quality of life.” She also expounded on some of the planned programmes, projects, and initiatives of the Ministry. Among these included the Suicide Prevention Hotline; the internal Values, Attitudes and Behaviour Campaign; and Elder Abuse.
According to Minister Cox, “The Ministry wants to work closer with families. Family plays an important role because they’re the first socializers. We recognize how serious parenting is in society, as crime and violence in schools often stem from social issues and poor parenting skills.”
In response, the Ambassador agreed on the importance of sharing information and exchanging ideas regarding social development. He also took the opportunity to commend the Minister for her participation in the fifth Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Social Development, in Dominican Republic, which was based on strengthening hemispheric cooperation towards resilient reconstruction and sustainable social development.
The meeting ended with a brief presentation to Ambassador of TT to Washington, Phillip Spencer by Minister Cox.
The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services remains committed to proactively exploring opportunities to ensure that no one is left behind.