KINGSTON, Jamaica — Hear The Children’s Cry (HTCC), Jamaica’s leading NGO child advocate organisation, is calling on Prime Minister Andrew Holness to convene a Child Emergency Summit to produce a set of action steps, and a life-saving national action plan for child safety.

The group is calling for the summit in order to bring together critical stakeholders in the child welfare sector, address the horrific increase in child murders, produce a recommended life-saving national action plan for child safety, and ensuring that they are doable and implementable immediately.

Child advocate Betty Ann Blaine, founder of Hear The Children’s Cry, made the request to the prime minister in a letter delivered to Jamaica House, and noted that her organisation, among many others, is deeply disturbed at the horrific increase in child murders in Jamaica today.

“We are extremely alarmed at the newest and most frightening aspect of this national crisis —the actual targeting and execution of children, including toddlers and babies,” Blaine said.

“We at Hear The Children’s Cry know that our alarm and concern about child safety is shared by many others working for the welfare of our children,” Blaine added. “We have therefore recommended to the prime minister that a proposed ‘Life Saving Child Emergency Summit’ include representatives of the private sector, government agencies, non-government organisations, the church and others operating children’s service agencies, community leaders and parent groups.”

“Our precious children cannot be left to become victims of the criminal forces now exerting power in our communities, and they certainly cannot be allowed to become actual pawns in their diabolical activities. We must act together now to protect and safeguard them in a real and effective way,” Blaine asserted.