Youth Affairs Minister announces approval of $102,500 for a Day Care Centre for vagrants in Roseau

​Youth Affairs Minister has announced Government approval of $102,500 to provide a Day Care Centre for vagrants in Roseau. Her pronouncement was made at the 12th inauguration of the Roseau City Council on Wednesday 23rd November 2016, where she represented Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit.
 
She said “this program includes providing a day care center, or if you want to call it a day hospital, for vagrants around Roseau”. She said the program will be voluntary, and those who accept and are willing to be part of it, will be assessed. 
 
Charles added “we are hoping that during the time, there will be a thorough assessment of the individuals physical, social and psychological wellbeing, and a management plan will be developed to meet their specific identified needs”.
 
She said the facility will provide a variety of activities to improve both occupational and vocational skills of those in the program, “so there will be a social worker and a counselor attached to the program, to assist in identifying some of those areas.”
 
Vagrants in Roseau have been a long standing issue, as they are often seen as a nuisance to tourists who come to the island, as well as locals. After numerous back and fourths between various Ministers and Ministries regarding solutions to the problem, from as far back as 2013, Tourism Minister, Robert Tonge stated in July 2015, that Government had put a plan in place to address the problem, which included a day and night care facility.
 
He also said as part of the plan, high risk persons would be picked-up every day, and taken to what he described as an “occupational health centre.” In 2014, Director of Tourism, Colin Piper, described the issue as having a negative impact on the tourism industry.