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The Department of Social Welfare (DSW) in the Upper West Region has settled 23 child abuse cases under its Justice Administration from January to March this year, as against 25 cases within the same period last year. These were contained in a quarterly report of the DSW, which indicated that of the 25 cases recorded last year, nine were handled at the Family Tribunal, with four of the cases on child maintenance and four on child custody while one case was on access. The report stated that out of the 23 cases, eight were categorised as stealing cases, which were handled at the Juvenile Court, and one committed to the Senior Correctional Centre (SCC). Fourteen other cases have also been handled at the Family Tribunal, of which two were child maintenance, 10 on child custody and two on social enquiry within the period. The report showed that the Juvenile Court�s 16 cases were made up of nine stealing cases, four on defilement, two committed to correctional centre and one on probation last year. Child Rights Promotion and Protection handled 98 cases under casework with families in the region. Child maintenance recorded 39 cases last year as against 20 this year. Ten cases were registered under Child Custody this year, as against four last year. Cases of paternity in the first quarter of this year were three, as compared to four last year, and reconciliation cases rose to seven this year and three last year. Child abandonment this year was one case but had no record for last year. Defilement of children in the Upper West Region had declined tremendously as the region recorded seven cases last year as against one case this year. The report showed that under general welfare, the region last year settled six cases, and this rose to nine this year. The department visited 24 Day Care Centres and three children�s orphanages this year while it made 13 visits to Day Care Centres and two orphanages in the first quarter of last year. Mr Andrews Kaayi, Assistant Director of the Department of Social Welfare, told the Ghana News Agency that with the report, it showed how individuals, organisations and other entities had come to appreciate the need to protect the children in the region. He gave the assurance that some time to come, the right of the child would be fully understood by people who would help secure the future generation. Mr Kaayi said the department was operating under three thematic areas � Justice Administration, Child Rights Promotion and Protection and Community Care � as its core programme. He said under Community Care, 214 cases were handled last year and up by 707 this year. Mr Kaayi stated that out of the 214 cases, 156 were services rendered to people living with AIDS, 52 services to the prison and six services to the hospitals, saying �439 people living with AIDS were identified and registered this year.� An amount of GH�36,980.07 was provided to 163 people, with disabilities being the 2% share from the District Assemblies� Common Fund, while 13 patients received hospital welfare services and 90 benefited from Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty.