THINK again ? the decision to send troubled children to the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MWI) is wrong.

That is the blunt message to the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) and the Ministry of Health from former Independent Senator Jeannette Cannonier on the decision to transfer Child and Adolescent Services (CAS) from its present base on Berry Hill Road to the hospital formerly known as St. Brendan's.

Mrs. Cannonier, who has a grandchild who has benefited from visits to CAS, said children who went to MWI would be burdened by stigma.

The revealed last week that there was strong opposition from staff to the move, which would see children treated in an adult psychiatric environment.

But the BHB has stated that the transfer of CAS to MWI from Montrose Cottage is to take place over the next 12 months.

Burgeoning demand for the service has meant CAS, which offers counselling and family therapy for troubled children, has outgrown its present home.

Opposition youth spokesperson Senator Gina Spence-Farmer has launched a campaign against the move.

And now she has called for Government to come up with a comprehensive report on the plight of children in Bermuda.

"They can call it the Wellness Institute, or whatever they like, but as far as Bermudians are concerned, it will always be St. Brendan's," Mrs. Cannonier said.

"Most people know it as St. Brendan's, particularly children. If they find out that a particular child is going to St. Brendan's, they will think he's crazy. Children can be very unkind.

"I think the Government needs to take a long, hard look at what they're doing. It's not the right move."

Mrs. Cannonier, who served as a Senator for seven years, accepted that CAS needed a new home because of increased need for its services.

"We need a separate facility that is open 24-seven," she said. "MWI is simply not the right place to put it. I hear they are going to put it in the same area as substance abusers. If that is true, why would we want to expose our children to that?"

She said life seemed to be getting tougher for the younger generation and they needed to be protected.

"Parents are working longer hours and some parents are involved in all types of things," Mrs. Cannonier said. "So children are being exposed to a lot more than they were years ago.

"At school they see kids from 'normal' families and they wonder why they can't go home to the same things. A lot of kids are left to their own devices.

"It's taking its toll on the younger generation. We hear teachers complaining of children's bad behaviour more and more, but we really need to get the root of what's causing the problem."

Mrs. Cannonier said she used to sit in the Senate with Patrice Minors, who is now Health Minister, and she intended to give her a call.

Sen. Spence-Farmer said she had received several calls from concerned people since she voiced opposition to the proposed CAS move last week.

Bermuda's booming economy had left behind a large segment of the community and children born into the 30 per cent of the population below or close to the poverty line were suffering, she added.

"I would like to see a report on the state of our children, especially those in the high-risk category," Sen. Spence-Farmer said.

"We know there is a growing problem with the youth, but we need to know what the problem is and why."

She cited figures that showed that CAS now had a client base of 280 and that Health Department figures showed an increase to 436 referrals of children aged between four and 18.

"CAS is facing a crisis," the Senator said. "Its case load has doubled and so its staff needs to double to enable them to cope with it.

"We need to identify the difficulties our children are facing. The Health Minister promised us a report on our children, but we have seen no sign of it.

"If someone is bleeding profusely, you need to stop the bleeding or they will die. Instead of being proactive, we are being reactive. CAS is bursting at the seams and we need to protect our youth."

The Senator has arranged with the MWI authorities to take a look at its facilities next Tuesday.

Sen. Spence-Farmer urged anyone with a view on the CAS move to contact her on 292-3945.