Many children are missing out on behavioural care despite Government ploughing millions of dollars into sending young people overseas for treatment, according to the Bermuda Democratic Alliance.

Only "very high risk" youngsters are served by the existing initiative due to high costs, BDA member Kristen White said as she gave details on the Alliance's youth platform.

And Ms White, who has served on the Centre of Philanthropy, said when high-risk children return to the Island following treatment they find an absence of transitional services.

Ms White, basing her comments on BDA's research with youth workers in Government and the charitable sector, also said:

• Bermuda has no system to identify young people who may engage in anti-social behaviour and intervene before they become 'out of control';

• there's not enough collaboration within and between charitable and Government sectors;

• students are not given enough career counselling to steer them away from anti-social behaviour — and even less advice opportunities for children who leave the school system;

• many parents don't know about existing programmes as there's no centralised place explaining what's available;

• the Education Centre for at-risk children is understaffed, with no courses in math, woodwork, art and physical education due to a lack of qualified teachers;

• the Brangman Home and Oleander Cottage don't offer comprehensive counselling programmes.

Government spends at least $1.9 million a year sending children with behavioural problems overseas, at a cost of $3,000 a month for each of 53 youngsters in the initiative.

Last week, Youth Minister Glenn Blakeney spoke about the importance of treating young people overseas for specialist care, saying they often need to be removed from the Island community after suffering from sexual abuse or attempted suicides.

Ms White said: "While the BDA is pleased that conversations are being had we, like the rest of Bermuda, feel that this Government does not have the luxury of spending months and months deciding how to best address the growing anti-social behaviour among our youth and we are hopeful that they will act quickly."

She said in the next 12 months Government should:

• empower the charitable sector by providing cash to youth agencies that work with at-risk families to expand existing services and develop new services;

• develop a system to identify and provide intervention plan for all at-risk young people up to age 14;

• implement a comprehensive counselling programme at Oleander Cottage and Brangman Home with support for families.

Ms White said in the long-term Bermuda should consider an on-Island housing and education facility for high-risk young people. These include those who have been sent overseas for treatment, return home and are not ready to rejoin their families and go back into mainstream schools.

She said other BDA plans include a one-stop career centre, employability training, community counselling programmes, supported accommodation units for homeless young people, and a national office to service youth.