National Child Protection Week 2019

This week is National Child Protection Week, aimed at engaging all members of the community to support families and protect children and keep them safe from harm.

This year’s theme relates to the importance of making sure parents are well supported in order to raise thriving, healthy kids and acknowledging that individual circumstances impact options parents have when it comes to raising children. We can think of families/parents as being like a boat navigating choppy waters – sometimes there’s bad weather or hazards in the way which represent the circumstances that can affect us all. Lighthouses and safe harbours represent the support that we all need.

There are lots of ways that you can be a lighthouse or a safe harbour within your community. Simple things such as smiling at the people in your neighbourhood, looking out for children to make sure they are safe, being kind and supportive to parents rather than judging or being competitive, offering to help (and accepting help if it’s offered to you) if you see a family facing challenges and speaking up and seeking advice about the safety and wellbeing of children.

Mrs Joanne Betti

Social Worker