AUDREY Budhi, the director of the Children Services Unit at the Ministry of Health, said this week that despite the many challenges facing children today, Jamaica continued to make strides in improving healthcare, nutrition, infant mortality, as well as broadening timely access to early childhood education.

Budhi, a member of the National Child Month Committee, was speaking at a press conference to launch May as Child Month at the Grace, Kennedy and Company Limited’s Harbour Street offices, in Kingston.

She pointed out that when new issues, such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic, are combined with the persistent problems of child abuse and poverty, the scope of the challenges confronting both the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in children affairs, become magnified.

Budhi said the committee and NGOs have had success in devising programmes to rescue children, citing those geared toward street and working children.

She added that there were “many children who worked at the expense of their education and full-rounded development”, and noted that the programmes included homework and remedial work, parenting skills, peer counselling, after-school care, and sensitisation sessions for the police when dealing with first-time offenders.

At the same time Budhi noted that a national survey on street children was completed, and this would be presented to the minister of health, John Junor.

In observance of Child Month, several activities will be held under the theme: “Together We Make a Difference”. A church service will be held tomorrow at the Ocho Rios Baptist Church.

The highlight of the month will be the annual community service awards to be held on May 31. Budhi said that the committee would be targeting special children between five and 17 years of age living in communities throughout Jamaica, who have exhibited social awareness and leadership qualities. She has invited churches and organisations to select persons worthy of recognition.

She noted that the activities for Child Month would be a collaborative effort of various organisations, and cited the Multi-Care Foundation as one of the agencies to be involved.

In light of the theme for the month, several NGOs and private sector entities will be participating in a number of exhibitions to be mounted throughout the island.

The Ministry of Health plans to focus on the area of parenting during the month by hosting a series of educational programmes for parents on such topics as anger management, discipline, nurturing a healthy parent and child, among others at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston.

At the launch, the Marion Ballysingh Award of $50,000 for a scholarship was presented to the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Department of Sociology and Social Work.

The scholarship is given to a student of the department every two years in memory of Ballysingh, who was instrumental in the first observation of Child Month in 1953.