THE Child Development Agency (CDA) says it will be intensifying its effort to draw attention to the issue of child abuse, and the need to provide greater care and protection for children during May, which is celebrated as National Child Month.

Underscoring the theme: ‘Take Action! Break the Chain of Abuse against Children’, CDA public relations and communications manager Rochelle Dixon said that it ties in with the agency’s overall mandate, aimed at protecting the nation’s children from abuse, while carrying out advocacy and public education initiatives to tackle this ongoing issue.“Every year we pause as an agency to celebrate our children by engaging them in a series of islandwide activities. This year’s observance serves as a call to action for us to come together as a nation to recalibrate our efforts to safeguarding our children from the level of violence being meted out against them.“It is our hope that persons will take a stand and commit or recommit to breaking the silence and change the social mores that have led to many turning a blind eye in the face of abuse, neglect and abandonment of our children,” Dixon said.The CDA said the month-long activities began on May 1, with a social media chat on child protection at the agency’s Duke Street offices in downtown Kingston. The activity, she said, provided a platform for representatives from the agency to engage social media users about child abuse and protection, as well as address other issues.Representatives from the agency also participated in National Read Across Jamaica Day on Wednesday, which saw them revisiting their former schools and reading to children.The second week of activities will include a National Church Service on Sunday, May 7, at the Fellowship Tabernacle, 2 Fairfield Avenue in Kingston; Spiritual Awareness Week from May 7-11 at the Manning Boy’s Home in Southfield, St Elizabeth; and CDA Cares Launch on Tuesday, May 9, at the Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston, starting at 6:00 pm.“This initiative will serve as a volunteer arm of the agency and will include business organisations and individuals, as well as staff and former wards of the State giving back to the homes,” said Dixon.Regional child protection walk throughs will begin on Friday, May 12, in targeted hot-spot communities where child abuse and neglect are prevalent. Several other walk throughs will be held during the month, the CDA said.The agency will also participate in a 5k walk/run at Emancipation Park on Saturday, May 13. “We fully endorse this event which is held annually to raise funds to build homes for vulnerable families,” Dixon said.The CDA said it has established a partnership with Logos Hope, a book ship which will provide children from child care facilities with an opportunity to visit the ship, select books, read and engage in worship from May 16 to June 11. The children will also benefit from free dental and optical services as part of the experience.The activities continue with National Children’s Day and CDA’s Child Management Day on Friday, May 19. Children on the day will be given the opportunity to manage portfolios of business professionals, including the State Minister for Education, Youth and Information Floyd Green, CDA executive management team and companies across the island. A children’s extravaganza at Hope Gardens, Pantomime trip, workshops and other treats will also be held to commemorate the day.On Labour Day, May 23, there will be several clean-up and beautification projects of child care facilities.A community project will also be undertaken by the agency’s investigating officers in the western region (St James, Trelawny, Hanover and Westmoreland), in partnership with corporate companies to refresh a house for a single mother of three in Barrett Town, St James.And on Wednesday May 24, representatives from the agency will be visiting the Ananda Dean Whitehall Avenue Community in Kingston to refresh a painting of her, and discussions about child abuse and protection with residents during a candlelight ceremony.Activities will continue on Saturday, May 27, with the hosting of a National Children’s Expo and Special Needs Resource Fair, which is a joint effort with the Nathan Ebanks Foundation. This event, the CDA said, will provide children services from various partners such as the National Health Fund, Jamaica Disabilities Foundation, and National Parenting Support Commission, among others.Several other events will be held throughout the month, as well as various public education activities and media opportunities to amplify awareness about child abuse and protection.Dixon has encouraged Jamaicans to exercise greater vigilance in the care and protection of all children throughout child month and onwards, and to report all known or suspected cases of child abuse to the Office of the Children’s Registry or the CDA.