IAC Convening For Social Service Agencies
On Thursday, September 17, the Inter Agency Committee for Children and Families [IAC] will be hosting a convening of social service agencies, to unveil the compiled list of critical social service provider agencies, and the type of services that are offered throughout Bermuda for vulnerable children and families.
“The convening is in preparation for completion of a Continuum of Networked Services document which will be available to the public before the end of the year,” said Martha Dismont, Chairperson of the IAC.
“The convening meeting is also being held to attract organizations that have not been captured by the survey research conducted over the past two years.”
The information listed on the Continuum has been gathered from government and private organizations through a survey conducted and distributed to over 100 organizations.
Mrs. Dismont stated that Government Ministries, particularly the Ministry of Community, Culture and Sport, have been keenly involved in the development of the Continuum and remain supportive of the initiative.
She also added “The development of this continuum of care proceeds from the premise that the absence of an appropriate network and integrated services continuum for vulnerable children and families creates the potential for increased vulnerability for these families and increased costs for the community.
“The creation of a full-fledged, dynamic and child-centered system of care for Bermudian children, which is responsive to and effective in meeting the needs of children and families, particularly those who are most vulnerable and/or on the fringes of society necessitates a determined and concerted effort.”
The IAC’s vision is to have a fully accessible continuum of services to support the well-being of all children in Bermuda.
Additional key outcomes for the meeting are to confirm the services that agencies and individuals are currently providing; to provide agencies with definitions and an outline of the services framework; to understand the researched information on unaddressed needs of Bermuda’s children and their families, to identify the gaps between needs and services; and to consider solutions to closing the gaps in services.
Mrs. Dismont concluded, “Service providers and other participants in attendance at the meeting will be asked to commit to helping to fill the gaps in service that exist, with the expectation that only those services which are building a capacity for excellence in service will remain on the Continuum of Care.
“This will hopefully begin the process of ensuring that an effective service provision network is established that supports the overall well-being of children.”
All service providers are invited to attend the Convening Meeting to be held on Thursday, September 17 from 1pm to 4pm, at the BIU Building, 2nd floor, Union Street, Hamilton. If interested in attending, you must RSVP to iac@prevention.bm.
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