RGD Met 60 Per Cent Of Target For ‘Father’s Day’ Promotion

The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) achieved 60 per cent of its target for its special ‘Status Day’ promotion on June 20.

The event, held in observance of Father’s Day, enabled fathers to add their names to their child’s birth certificate, free of cost.

Complimentary registrations were given to the first five applicants at each of the RGD’s 10 locations across the island.

In an interview with JIS News, the RGD’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Charlton McFarlane, reported that “we achieved 60 per cent of our overall target with the complimentary registrations that were being issued to fathers who came in to add their names to their children’s birth certificate”.

The CEO shared that even though the full target was not achieved, the entity was pleased with the support received from those who were in attendance.

“The fathers who showed up were very excited that this opportunity was being presented to them. We had a case where one father showed up to have his name added to the birth certificates of his four children. There was also another instance where a father came in with two certificates,” he noted.

Mr. McFarlane told JIS News that the results from the promotion show that there is a demand for the service.

“The promotion has brought an increased awareness, not only to the fact that a father’s name can be added to his child/children’s birth certificates years later but also the importance of ensuring that children are fully registered, having both the mother and father’s names on the birth certificate,” he said.

The RGD wants to ensure that children are registered with both parents’ information on the birth certificate. so that the number of fathers who need to go through the process of having their names added to the document later is significantly reduced.

“We are hoping that new fathers will come forward and add their particulars to the registration from the get-go, so that this process will be somewhat redundant over the next few years,” Mr. McFarlane shared.

The RGD is the only repository in Jamaica for birth, marriage, still birth and death records.