Child protection week targets community care

In an effort to raise awareness about child abuse and push communities into acting in the interest of children, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security will kick off a week of activities beginning tomorrow.

Deputy Director Child Services Development within the ministry Theresa Gaime said the focus is on communities this year, adding that Child Protection Week is being observed under the theme, ‘Caring Communities raise Caring Children, Protect them now’. She said the idea behind the theme is to stress the importance of protecting children here, given how vulnerable the majority are.

Several activities are planned for the week, Gaime said, and she pointed to newspaper spreads that will promote children’s voices on the issue in addition to calls for all to be involved. She said the ministry will also include in the newspaper spreads messages from child protection partners across the country. Among the activities planned are a series of panel discussions with children, a cultural exhibition and a road show.

Gaime said the plans would be executed across the country and explained that the panel discussions are planned for Monday while on Tuesday booths would be set up at strategic points in Georgetown where child care professionals and volunteers will interact with the public and distribute critical materials. She said the ministry has invited schools across the country to debate on child protection issues based on the theme this year- this is likely to happen on Wednesday.

Further, she said a cultural exhibition would be mounted at the National Library and the following day the road show is expected to invade Main Street outside Courts.

Gaime added that child protection week was initiated in 2004 to raise awareness, adding that every year the focus is on raising the profile of the issue and getting persons involved.