Mr. Okinu Mustapha Aryee, Cape Coast Metro Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development says cases of child maintenance and neglect remain the most recorded cases in the area, spanning almost a decade.
He said child neglect cases in the Metropolis have been on the rise for many years and there was the need to attach importance to intensified public education to curb the menace.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Cape Coast, he said large family sizes, poor social connection and unloving relationship, poverty and lack of empathy among others were the factors contributing highly to the status quo.
“At social welfare, we deal with cases of child custody, paternity, family reconciliation and missing children but persistently child neglect has remained the top, we need to collectively fight to change the narrative” he added.
Backing these claims with some statistics, the Director said in 2020, out of the total of 482 cases reported, 204 were child neglect and maintenance issues.
In the second quarter of the same year, 151 of the 307 cases recorded were child neglect cases and as at the end of the second quarter of this year, 142 of the reported 304 cases are child neglect.
Mr Aryee noted that studying the trend, the cases will rise this year.
To curb the practice, he said his office had consistently embarked on public education through different mediums available to enlighten the citizenry on their duties and the responsibilities they owed to their children.
“We can make a better community to push Ghana if we all `accepted our weaknesses and are ready to work towards it.
“Our children are the future, let us enroll them in schools and meet their needs to give them a sound mind to study for the sake of their future” he added.
He also urged the community, particularly, women to channel their family grievances to the Department and assured them that the office existed to bring relief to the troubled.