Progress being achieved in Child Protection through the Child Resilience and Protection Project

Partners in the Child Resilience and Protection Project (CRPP) met for their annual planning session to reflect on the progress of project implementation during 2022 and plan for 2023. The CRPP aims to strengthen the child protection system, nurture children’s and adolescents’ well-being, and help support schools to be better equipped to respond to disasters. The project is being executed by UNICEF the Netherlands in collaboration with the Government of Sint Maarten.

“The planning for 2022 was ambitious and demanded a lot of time and dedication from the many stakeholders who play a part in child development and protection on Sint Maarten. We are proud of the results that have been achieved and look forward to our continued collaboration with the Government of Sint Maarten and taking many more steps forward in 2023,” shares Sacha Bökkerink, Programs and Public Affairs Director, UNICEF the Netherlands.

Several of the achievements for the year include strengthening disaster and emergency planning in schools, development of a national positive parenting support program, activities to foster meaningful youth participation, strengthening child protection referral systems, and setting the foundation for the establishment of an interministerial National Child Protection Platform, amongst others.

The annual planning schedule included a presentation for Drs. Rodolphe E. Samuel, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, expressed his continued support for the project: “The progress made in 2022 is a great achievement. The planned activities indicate the seriousness and commitment of all stakeholders regarding child protection and ensuring children are safe. My gratitude goes out to everyone, and I wish you much success with the program of 2023.”

Key government partners of the CRPP, from the Ministries of ECYS, Justice & VSA, include the Department of Youth, Student Support Services Division (SSSD), the Court of Guardianship, Foundation Judicial Institutes St. Maarten, and the Department of Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs (CDFHA).

The Child Resilience and Protection Project (CRPP) is financed by the Government of the Netherlands through the Sint Maarten Recovery and Resilience Trust Fund, administered by the World Bank. For more information: www.unicef.nl/trustfundsintmaarten