National

Child Neglect Cases Nearly Doubled Between January and August

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Child neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse cases are rising in The Bahamas, with Social Services Minister Barbara Cartwright acknowledging a shortage of social workers as the ministry moves to recruit staff and strengthen child protection efforts.

Published

25 minutes ago

October 14, 2026

Evlynn Ferguson

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Reports from the Department of Social Services show child neglect cases nearly doubled between January and August. Even more troubling, physical and sexual abuse cases also climbed. With 441 child protection cases recorded so far this year, the ministry is facing mounting pressure to respond.

When asked if the unit has enough social workers to handle the increasing number of cases, Minister of Social Services Barbara Cartwright had this to say.

Barbara Cartwright – Minister of Social Services

“Currently, we don’t, and we are therefore recruiting new social workers. We brought many social workers who had strayed away from Social Services, but a lot of them are returning now. And so we are in the process of recruiting and hiring new social workers at this time.”

Social Services Director of Gender and Family Affairs Sharmie Farrington explained the significance of Wednesday’s Poverty and Outreach Expo.

Sharmie Farrington – Director of Gender and Family Affairs, Social Services

“The ministry recognizes, and our department, especially responsible for family, we recognize that there are those persons who will fall between the cracks. And this is why this outreach and expo is so important. It allows the ministry to go into the neighbourhood where sometimes persons will not want to come into the office as such. And so it allows us to identify those areas and those children in an informal way and provide services and resources to them.”

Attention then turned to the ministry’s recent rollout of stricter elder-protection laws. Just last week, State Minister Bacchus Rolle announced fines of up to $50,000 under the Older Persons Rights Bill.

At today’s conference, Cartwright was asked whether similar reforms could follow for child neglect.

Barbara Cartwright – Minister of Social Services

“Well, we have just actually had a meeting with the Child Protection Unit, and we are looking at ways to improve the whole department and increase support. So we are going to be doing a lot of stuff with the Child Protection Unit.”