Persons Encouraged to Support Child Month Activities During May

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) is encouraging all Jamaicans to join the entity and the National Child Month Committee (NCMC) in observing Child Month during May.

Chief Executive Officer, Rosalee Gage Grey, said while the nation’s children are recognised all year round, the observance of Child Month allows for special focus on achievements and issues impacting them.

“We are partnering with the NCMC and several other stakeholders to execute activities under the Child Month 2021 theme, ‘I Strive to Overcome Adversities with Resilience (I SOAR)’,”, she disclosed.

The activities commence with Child Protection Motorcades/Road Show/Drive- Throughs, which will see several officers of the CPFSA regional teams engaging citizens to build awareness about child abuse and protection, through recorded message/town crier broadcasts.

Every Friday in May, officers will visit a community, beginning in the south-east region.

Parents and guardians of children with special needs will also have the opportunity to participate in virtual workshops during the month.
This is part of the CPFSA’s drive to have children with disabilities register with the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD).

The Agency, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and with the support of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), will facilitate the creation of backyard vegetable gardens at 10 childcare institutions to assist with the CPFSA’s thrust for these centres to be self-sustainable.

Meanwhile, cooks and chefs employed to childcare facilities will undergo intense training sessions with transformational culinary artist, Jacqui Tyson, through her J Tyson Foundation. According to Mrs Gage Grey, the aim of this partnership is to explore options to provide more economical and nutritious meals for children.

Training of the cooking staff will include food preparation and development of meal plans for children. At the end of the training, each home will have a comprehensive meal plan.

The CPFSA will also launch a competition between childcare facilities, where each institution will be required to submit a short video of a section of the compound requiring renovation.

The institution garnering the most votes will receive a makeover, courtesy of Karen Booker. Meanwhile, in partnership with Kingston Creatives and owners of high-visibility wall spaces, one child-protection mural will be painted in each parish, depicting child-protection messages and the ‘report child abuse’ number 888-PROTECT.

Mrs. Gage Grey disclosed that the Child Protection Mascot, ‘Mr. Protector’, will be unveiled on National Children’s Day, May 21. The CPFSA is the government agency responsible for children who are in need of care and protection or otherwise deemed to be at-risk.