By Rehana AhamadAlthough the job description suggests that a Child Protection Officer is required to work from 08:00hrs to 16:00hrs, this may not be entirely accurate. You see, the job goes far beyond just sitting behind a desk and looking at a list of complaints of children being abused and/or neglected. It entails late nights, long hours, and limited time spent with family and friends.Child Protection Officer, Gavin RobertsonIn an effort to positively capture what a day in the life of a child protection officer would entail, I sought the assistance of Gavin Robertson, who, despite being in the field for just three years, has already earned himself a prestigious ‘Dedication to Service’ award from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.Robertson and I had a very pleasant interview, during which he explained some of the things that a child protection officer is tasked to do.He said that almost daily, he and his colleagues would have to conduct interviews, investigate complaints, document cases, follow up on them, attend court hearings and visit schools, homes and hospitals. Of course these are all in addition to providing counseling to both parents and children.“More than 80 percent of the work we do is done out in the fields, not in an office behind a desk.”When asked directly, Robertson said that a day in the life of a child protection officer is nothing less than hectic.The Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Georgetown resident said however, that the system seems to be filled with persons who have an undying love for the job and a genuine interest in wanting to make the world a better place for children.“Being a child protection officer calls for a lot of dedication. You have to be prepared to give up your weekends, sleep, and family time.”Luckily for him, Robertson said that he has an extremely understanding wife who “does not fret” when he has to leave the house at odd hours or on the weekends during a church or family function.“Sometimes there’s a new development in the case that you’re working on, and you have to go, or maybe we have to go out and check on an emergency case. Like for instance, maybe late in the night somebody makes a complaint about children who are left home alone without food and so on,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, and we have to go to and render assistance. There are all kinds of scenarios that would warrant us having to go out at some unusual hours,” Robertson explained, emphasizing the need for social workers to have supportive families.He reflected that more often than not, being a child protection officer becomes more of a lifestyle than a job.“Whenever I’m not working and we’re going out, my wife would say ‘I hope you ain’t coming to look for work,’” a smiling Robertson said.He explained that it has become a habit for him to carry his badge wherever he goes.“It’s not that I’m looking for work, but I just don’t want something untoward to happen with a child and then I have nothing to show the people involved that I have a certain level of authority to intervene and help make things right.”Robertson said that while he loves what he does, there are times when it can result in sleepless nights, not because he has to rush out to look into a case, but because many of his encounters would affect him in a personal way.“When I started witnessing abuse and neglect first hand, it really became hard to sleep.”The Child Care and Protection Agency’s Charlestown HeadquartersFor Robertson, one such case occurred in November 2011, a few months after he became an employee of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA).The case involved a Sophia resident who severely burnt her son and nephew,NFL Jerseys Outlet, ages five and six, on the buttocks and genitals, after she allegedly caught them experimenting in what she said was an unnatural act.Robertson was the officer attached to that case, and for him, this was the one that resulted in much headache and worry.“That was the case that really hit home. It really brought me to a state of anger, and it worried me, knowing and seeing what a human being is capable of doing to another… that,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, too, a child.”Asked about why he would want to continue working as a child protection officer, Robertson said that it would be because the feeling of satisfaction that one would get after being able to make a difference in the life of a child is too good to be true.“When you rescue a frail looking child, who has been abused or neglected, and you are able to get them into a safe home, and provide the counseling and care that they need…then you see them again and these children look like they are becoming the people that they were intended to be… that is more than rewarding,Nike Air Vapor Max Flyknit, and it is enough motivation to conti