Pull Quote: Keeping children safe will require greater involvement, cooperation and care from parents, extended families, community members, non-governmental and governmental organisations, schools and health care providers, among others.
AS the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security prepares to launch Child Protection Week 2013, the ministry is seeking partnership with all citizens to embrace the adage: “It takes a village to raise a child”.

The theme of this week (September 22-28) has already been chosen as, “Joining Hands for Effective Child Protection Services.”
According to a press statement from the ministry, there will be activities throughout the administrative regions during this special week to remind individuals, community members, and local groups including religious communities of the civil and moral responsibility to be part of the solution for children in need of protection.
Furthermore, child protection officers in their outreach sessions will be providing information on what everyone can do to help keep children safe.
Meanwhile, several outreach activities are planned to observe this week, including a road march and rally on “breaking the silence on childhood sexual abuse.”
“It is every child’s right to be loved, accepted, supported, and nurtured. The Child Protection Agency (CPA) of the ministry would like to issue a reminder to all parents, guardians and care givers of their roles and responsibilities in ensuring that this right is attainable by every child in Guyana, regardless of status or where that child lives.
“Keeping our children safe is not only the business of the Childcare and Protection Agency, but it’s everyone’s business. We must remove this notion of any one individual, organisation or public agency being held responsible for keeping our children safe.
“Keeping children safe will require greater involvement, cooperation and care from parents, extended families, community members, non-governmental organisations, governmental organisations, schools and health care providers, among others. In fact, every segment of society must be on board,” the release said.
The CPA is the state apparatus that has implemented a number of laws, policies, programmes and initiatives for the protection of children, but there is a major gap in the system, the ministry said.
“There is need for greater involvement at the community level for care and protection of our children. To bridge this gap, the CPA is working assiduously to engage communities and establish essential civil society partnerships to better serve our children and families.”
Child Protection Week was first commemorated by the ministry in 2004. The release said this week is dedicated to raising the level of awareness on issues affecting children in society.