DR Pauline Mullings, chairman of the National Child Month Committee, says the Child Care and Protection Act can be used as a tool to mobilise communities into becoming more socially responsible for the children of Jamaica.

Speaking during this week’s launch of two educational videos about the Child Care and Protection Act, Mullings said gone are the days when members of the community felt compelled to protect its children or reprimand them when they misbehave.

“I believe that the Child Care and Protection Act can do that,” Mullings said during the launch of the videos at Pollyanna Caterers in Kingston. “We are going to get there, where everyone feels they have a responsibility to raise any child in Jamaica,” she said.

The Child Care and Protection Act that was implemented in 2004 speaks to the care and protection of Jamaican children and seeks to protect them from abuse.

The videos, funded by the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica, were launched by the Child Development Agency (CDA) and Hope For Children Development Company (HCDC).

The CDA’s video – Man a Yaad….Lawd – came out of the agency’s awareness competition that was staged in the western region. A skit from the winning drama group – St Lucea Primary – is being used as one of the educational videos.

The HCDC’s video, Talk Done, Time fi Action, was done by its drama group, which consisted of children from four inner-city communities.

Mullings said the videos highlight the importance of the family unit, which she believes has fallen down.

“The help that we would get from the extended family is not there,” she said, adding that the family unit is largely responsible for the positive socialisation.

“Our children will only develop when we give them the opportunity to do so. This will enable our children to contribute to nation building, especially with globalisation,” said Mullings.

At the same time, Alison Anderson, CEO of the CDA, reminded the audience that the Child Care and Protection Act names the family as the primary source of care and protection for children and embraces a community approach to raising them.

“Too many times, however, the home is a battleground for the child and the community turns a blind eye to what is going on,” she said.

Nevertheless, Anderson said she believes that the videos are key tools in educating the public about the Child Care and Protection Act.

“I am, therefore, pleased that you could all join us for the launch of two phenomenal video productions – the first of their kind – featuring our very own talented Jamaican children, in the spotlight, on a mission to ensure that every person in this country knows what are their responsibilities toward children and the penalties for failing to live up to these responsibilities,” she said.

Similarly, Richard Troupe, executive director of the HCDC, said the Child Care and Protection Act is useless if Jamaicans are not aware of its purpose.

“If Jamaicans are not sensitised on the key provisions of the act then we would have defeated the purpose of the act so to speak,” he said.