THE National Child Month Committee (NCMC) has announced that the focus of Child Month 2022 will be “listening to the voices of our children as they cry out for solace”.

Child Month 2022 will be celebrated under the theme “Listen Up, Children’s Voices Matter”.

Speaking at the media launch held at the Institute of Jamaica in Kingston on Wednesday, NCMC’s Chairperson Dr Pauline Mullings said she is anticipating great support to highlight the needs of children and ways to help.

“I am happy, yet sad to say that as a country, we have taken measures to ensure that our children have the opportunity to speak and I am saddened that the avenue created is birthed out of the pain faced by them, inflicted upon them by adults primarily.”

“However, let me focus on the positive outcome, we have taken the time to listen to the voices of our children as they cry out for solace, as they seek escape from abuse, the neglect, negative influences that seek to ravish their innocence, deprive them of a childhood and tarnish their souls particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she added.

To kick-start the activities, the annual church service will be held on Sunday, May 1 at Eastwood Park Road New Testament Church of God in Kingston starting at 10:30 am, which will be streamed live on YouTube.

“Churches islandwide should kindly allow and [including those] celebrating the first Sabbath in May to have your services centred around our children and where possible, have them highly involved even to bring the word,” said Mullings.

The other activity will include National Children’s Day observed on Friday, May 20. On that day, the NCMC will have its ‘Pickney Party’ showcasing the talents of children ages six to 17 in song, poetry and visual arts.

That activity will be followed by the National Day of Prayer which will be held on Wednesday May 25 at Trinity Moravian Church in Kingston, followed by the committee’s distribution of care packages on May 31.

— Brittny Hutchinson