Parents Encouraged to Safeguard Children’s Welfare

Minister with Responsibility for Sport, Hon. Natalie Neita Headley, is encouraging parents to be more involved in safeguarding their children’s welfare.

This, in order to preserve their growth and development, by preventing them from deviating towards behavioural traits deemed unhealthy.

“We have to guide our children with values that we want (them) to hold on to,” she told participants attending a recent parenting workshop, hosted by the Sligoville Police Youth Club, at the James Mountain Community Centre, in North Central St. Catherine.

Mrs. Neita Headley, who is Member of Parliament for the constituency, said parental guidance of children’s behaviour involved monitoring their attire to ensure they are appropriately dressed for public engagements, as also the quality of audio, visual, and literary material they are exposed to.

“You have to ensure that you guide your children in the right way. If you don’t (then you will have no one to) blame (but yourselves, if they should run afoul of the law, consequent on undesirable traits they resort to),” she underscored.

The workshop was organized to explore conflict resolution, the nurturing of children, and educational issues.

Key stakeholder organizations participating, included; the Social Development Commission (SDC); United for Change; Men with a Message; and Peace and Love in Society (PALS), among other groups.

Sligoville Police Youth Club Director, Constable Damein Haye, said the event is among several initiatives that the organization will be staging as part of interventions to reduce the incidence of crime in the community, while exploring avenues through which persons can be equipped with essential social skills.

For her part, President of the Club, Christer-Ann Campbell-Bowansingh, expressed the hope that the interventions, such as the workshop, will result in improved parent/children relations, where these have deteriorated.

She also welcomed the support of the Sligoviile Police in helping to implement outreach projects, which have been and remain pivotal to the community transformation process.