RGD Celebrates Dads Ahead of Father’s Day

The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) is once again appealing to fathers to add their particulars to their children’s birth certificates at the time of birth, as the Department seeks to achieve 100 per cent compliance in this area.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the RGD, Dr. Patricia Holness, has disclosed that, since the start of the Department’s bedside registration drive in 2007, over 65 per cent of fathers to newborns are adding their particulars to the birth certificates, up from 23 per cent.
She was speaking at the RGD’s Fathers’ Day celebrations at its head office in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine, Friday (June 18).

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Registrar General’s Department (RGD), Yvette Scott (left), appears overjoyed to be presenting a gift basket to RGD customer, Silvera Castro, during the Department’s celebration of fathers ahead of Fathers’ Day on Friday (June 18) at its Twickenham Park location, St. Catherine.

Under the RGD’s bedside registration programme, the Department issues a free birth certificate for all children that are registered with a name at birth. Dr. Holness said the initiative has led to the issuing of over 120,000 free birth certificates.
“At the RGD, we are very interested in ensuring that every child is made aware who his or her father is, and that the father takes the time to accept paternity at the time of the child’s birth,” she said.
Friday’s celebrations at the RGD were held under the theme ‘Hand in Hand with My Dad’. Fathers present were treated to musical and other tributes, as well as gift baskets and certificates and cellular phones from the sponsors of the event.
One of the fathers, Harvey Willis, said the show of appreciation was “unexpected” encouragement for fathers to want to say they are fathers, more than ever.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Registrar General’s Department (RGD), Dr. Patricia Holness (left), presents a gift basket to Merrick Squire, during a ceremony recognising fathers at the RGD’s Twickenham Park office, St. Catherine on Friday (June 18). The theme for the day was ‘Hand in Hand with my Dad’.

Another customer, Michael Johnson, said he was happy that some focus was being placed on the fathers in Jamaica, as it is usually mothers who are celebrated.