Blackett shares activities for May’s ‘Child Month’

By Marsha Gittens
The issue of adolescence, cyber abuse and its implications will come under the microscope in coming weeks when the first in a
series of workshops is rolled out.
Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development, Steven Blackett, made this
disclosure giving the start date for this initiative as May 17.
He further told the gathering at Friday’s Child Care Board’s National Children’s Service at the Abundant Life Assembly that the first workshop will be held in St. Peter.

“The Child Care Board will also address the issue of adolescence, cyber abuse and its implications by conducting a series of workshops for children in Class 4 in primary schools and children from the secondary schools.

“These workshops will be held in the north, the south and central parts of Barbados and will be sponsored by UNICEF.”

Friday’s service was the first activity for this month – Child Month – and it was attended by government officials and students and teachers from schools across the island, as well as by students and teachers from St. Joseph de Cluny, a visiting school from Martinique.

Several other activities are planned throughout this month. Sharing some of the activities to be conducted by the Child Care Board, Blackett stated it “will continue its national public education on the theme of, “Breaking The Silence Of Child Abuse”. This will be done through its collaboration with its stakeholders mainly [United Nations Children’s Fund] UNICEF, the West Indies Cricket Board, churches, the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, community-based organisations and other government departments.

In addition, it will continue its preventive work in the primary schools with the "Safe Touch" programme as well as the community outreach through schools [Parent- Teacher Associations] PTAs, churches and community groups.”

The theme for Child Month is “Love Our Children: Today’s Generation, Tomorrow’s World.” (MG)