JAMAICA: Parents better equipped to raise their children

#Kingston, October 12, 2018 – Jamaica – Parents in several communities across the island are now better equipped to discipline their children without using coercive practices, often characterised by hostility and derision.  This was facilitated under a parenting education programme implemented by the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) III through collaboration with the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC).

A total of 250 parents and community parent trainers (CPTs) graduated from the programme during a ceremony held at the Spanish Court Hotel on Wednesday, October 10.

Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, in his address at the ceremony, hailed the CSJP III and the NPSC for the initiative, which he said seeks to bring order and a positive framework to “one of the most critical occupations in society”.  He urged parents to desist from using corporal punishment as a disciplinary tool and noted that he is happy that the CSJP’s programme aims to support parents in identifying alternative practices.

“We are human; we get frustrated.  You can get angry, and sometimes you expect the child to understand, but they too are feeling your frustration, and it’s a matter of how you respond. You are to engage them emotionally, to share any moment of frustration in a way that they know that you care about them, that you love them and your objective is to [uplift them],” he pointed out.

Dr. Chang argued that changing the style of parenting to one that is focused on care, love and understanding will help to reduce violence in the society. “Give the children a sense of self-worth and self-respect,” he added.

CSJP Programme Manager, Simeon Robinson, in her remarks urged the graduates to be ambassadors for effective parenting within their communities.  He further challenged them to bring at least one other parent from their communities into the programme.

The parenting education programme, conducted from November 2017 to June 2018, aimed to hone the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to raise children with the aptitude to resist violent and antisocial behaviours.

The first phase started with the training of 112 CPTs, who provided one-on-one in-home intensive coaching for the parents engaged.  Phase two of the initiative saw 50 of the CPTs assigned to 166 families. After some 4,140 home visits, 138 parents completed the programme.

Release: JIS

Contact: Denise Dennis

Photo Captions:

Header: Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang (second right), interacts with (from left) Alexia Gordon, Kathleen Thomas-Douse and Monifa Findlay at the graduation exercise for the Citizen Security and Justice Programme’s (CSJP III) parenting education initiative, held on October 10 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston.

Insert: Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, greets Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Her Excellency Laurie Peters, during the graduation exercise for the Citizen Security and Justice Programme’s (CSJP III) parenting education initiative, held on October 10 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston.

Photos: Rudranath Fraser