Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever, took a tour recently of the Sister Basilia Center, daycare, residence and guiding living facilities. The tour was guided by Carlson Richardson, Manager of the Sister Basilia Center; Mireya Torrenga-Maria, Activity Coordinator and Erna Mae Francis, Psychologist at the center.
Minister De Weever was given the opportunity to see the center in operation, as the last visit to the center was the official opening, and the clients were not as yet in the facility. The center strives to enable people with disabilities to be recognized as citizens, have equal opportunities to participate in the social, educational, recreational and economic life and to have a warm loving and safe environment.
The Ministry of Public Health Social Development & Labor subsidizes the White & Yellow Cross and many care products offered at the Sister Basilia Center. Minister De Weever is asking the special needs community to take full advantage of all their services.
"I am appealing to those of you in the community that have physically challenged persons at home, to please take advantage of the many services offered at the Sister Basilia Center," said Minister De Weever.
The Daycare or School teachers provides care for 35 clients of different levels of function. These clients are then placed in five different groups. At the center emphasis is placed on structuring clients in the following skills: academic, physical, social and self-help. The Minister was given the opportunity to visit all of these areas, such as the Angels, which is the children’s group; the pacesetters, which are children with autism; Climbers, which is the lower level functioning group; Players, which is the mid-level functioning group and last the Smarties, which focuses on the higher-level functioning group.