Jamaicans Urged to Create a Safe and Nurturing Environment for Children

Jamaicans are being implored to create a safe and nurturing environment for the nation’s children.

The call was made by Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Andrew Swaby, at the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) annual Child Month Candlelight Vigil, on May 4, at the Secret Garden Monument in downtown Kingston.

Mayor Swaby said the monument, which was constructed 17 years ago in memory of children who died under tragic circumstances, is also a reminder that each Jamaican has a responsibility to protect the nation’s youngest citizens.

“We recommit ourselves to building a Jamaica where every child feels safe, seen, and supported. So, this is not just another calendar event for the KSAMC. It is a declaration – a declaration that the KSAMC sees the protection and well-being of our children as a priority, that their resilience matters, that their voices matter, and that their future is something we will defend with everything we have,” he said.

In 2022, more than 5,000 reports of child abuse were brought to the attention of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA). That represents approximately 40 reports every day.

“This is more than a child-protection issue. This is a national crisis. The violence is not only in our homes. It’s in our communities…violence against children is preventable. And more importantly, it is unacceptable,” the Mayor said.

This year’s Child Month is being observed under the theme ‘Act Now: Stand Against Child Abuse and Exploitation’.

“It is a charge. A call to every parent, every teacher, every neighbour, every policymaker, and yes, every leader, including myself. We must act in the classroom. We must act in our churches, our clinics, our courts, building networks of trust and response. We must act in our homes. We must create safer communities,” the Mayor urged.

“In their memory, we commit, not just with words but with actions. Let us be the country where no child is ever afraid to speak up; where reporting abuse is met with compassion, not condemnation; where services are accessible, trusted, and responsive. Where community is not just a place you live but a shield you can count on, because a country that does not protect its children is a country that has forfeited its future, and here in Kingston, and across Jamaica, we will not let that happen,” the Mayor said.