AS Child Month comes to a close, the National Child Month Committee staged a day of prayer on Wednesday with an aim to garner more support for protecting children who are victims of crime and violence in the society.

First vice-chair of the National Child Month Committee, Dr Michelle Campbell said the background around this year’s theme, ‘Stand Up, Speak Out! Protect the Rights of our Children’, was aimed at raising more awareness to the public about the seriousness of the different challenges children face and how they affect their development.

“We see all that’s been taking place in our beautiful Jamaica, we see the violations, the abuse and we know that the mighty God that we serve is able to intervene, is able to shift, is able to change and that’s what we are here for today…our children need our prayers, our children need our guidance and our children need our protection,” she said at this year’s National Day of Prayer for the Nation’s Children and Families held at the Eastwood Park Road New Testament Church.

Campbell, while acknowledging the importance of encouraging children to fight for their rights and to be aware of their rights, expressed concern about how children are being taken advantage of.

“We also look at the empowerment of children to stand up for their own rights and in so doing, that we have to edify them about their rights, allowing them to speak out against violation,” said Campbell.

Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby used the occasion to lament what he described as,”the decrease in moral standards in today’s society”.

According to Swaby, this has contributed to fewer adults looking out for the well-being of Jamaica’s children.

“As a nation we have witnessed a decay of the moral fibre which was once an individual part of the role society played in fostering a safe environment for our children. Our children are being abused, demoralised and robbed of the opportunities of becoming valuable members of our society,” said Swaby.

In his keynote address minister of the Eastwood Park Road New Testament Church, Presley Smith encouraged parents to prioritise listening to their children more and paying attention to what they are consuming online.

“Listen to what is not said and pay attention to what is not done. Because sometimes it’s not what is said where you find the problem and it’s not in what is being done where you find the problem but sometimes our children are saying things without saying it and sometimes their actions is because of what is being done,” said Smith.

He argued that a lack of attention to children from parents is one of the main causes for many to stray from righteousness which ultimately affects the moral compass of children as they grow older.

“Our children are in dire need of care and protection. Our children’s rights are being taken away from them and as a result, they remain unheard, uncared for and unprotected. I want us to understand that every child deserves to grow in a safe environment, a nurturing environment and a caring environment free from fear and harm,” Smith added.