'NURTURING OUR Children for a Brighter Tomorrow' is the theme for 'National Child Month', which was launched yesterday at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.
Betrand Bainvel, a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative, pointed out that everyone needs to take an interest in ensuring children have a safe environment.
"Legislation and policy, although necessary, will remain only good intentions without a collective effort by all components of the Jamaican society to give children the best possible start in life and help develop to their full potential," he said.
He added that children should be a priority in Jamaica's annual budget debate in Parliament and that greater financial resources should be allocated towards their development.
"When we prepare and debate over budgets we must prioritise children. Not only because they are the future of our country, but also because missing this investment comes at a much higher cost for the whole society later on," Mr. Bainvel said.
Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie, in his address, noted that special focus should be placed on 'education and work ethics' during the month's activities.
"They (children) need to realise that in order to gain financial power, you have to work for it," he said.
The 'National Child Month' committee, which includes representatives from Government and non-government institutions, is responsible for co-ordinating activities for the month. It has been successfully doing so since the inaugural 'Child Month' was launched in 1953.
The Minister of Health, John Junor, who also spoke at the function, expressed concern about what he called 'some of the situations children find themselves in'. He noted that the Government has, however, made strides in protecting children with the passing of the childcare and protection acts.
Child month was started by Lady Foote, wife of Lord Cardon, then governor of Jamaica.
It was done in conjunction with three agencies, Child Welfare Association and the Jamaica Children's Services Society (which together later formed the Voluntary Organisation for the Upliftment of Children, VOUCH) and the Jamaica Save the Children Fund, which formed the National Child Month Committee (NCMC).
The activities for the month include a church service, the children's expo and the launch of the early childhood education commission.
