“Child-Friendly Cities Initiative” launched to create welcoming urban environments for children

The Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) under the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security continues to explore avenues to ensure that the well-being of children is placed in a welcoming and conducive environment.

In a groundbreaking initiative, the Minister of Human Services and Social Security,  Dr. Vindhya Persaud, announced that the Ministry, through CPA, will commence its “Child-Friendly Cities Initiative”, which is premised on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a framework to help local governments prioritise children’s needs and involve them in decision-making processes.

This announcement was made on Wednesday at Unique’s Daycare, Pre-school and Nursery School at La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara during the “International Day of Play- Play With a Purpose” event.

Notably, Guyana will be the first country in the Caribbean to have this initiative and will focus on child-friendly environments by addressing the needs of children and youth, leading to a more inclusive and equitable society.

While delivering the feature address, Minister Persaud said that the initiative is intended to ensure safe spaces are created for children across communities and aims to make them equitable and child-responsive.

“Today, we will be formally launching our Child-Friendly Cities Initiative across Guyana. This means that every community will be adopted by the Childcare and Protection Agency and will be a safe place for children in every aspect,” Minister Persaud announced.

The goals include safety and inclusion, children’s participation in activities and policies, access to essential social services for all children, play and leisure opportunities, which is the first element that the Ministry has started with through the “Day of Play” event, and the fostering of parent and children’s activities through the parenting programme.

The initiative gives a blueprint and urges communities to design urban spaces with children in mind, not as an afterthought, but as a priority. It challenges policymakers, community leaders, and educators to ask themselves the hard questions about children’s safety, their acceptance, and how they could flourish within that environment.

Most importantly, this initiative falls under the Ministry’s broader programme of “Every Child Safe,” which aims to improve child safety and wellbeing through community engagement and awareness sessions.

Moreover, the Minister urged the members of the community to form a collective body and join the initiative.

“We are going to put out a call for a network of people who will be trained by us in every community. Together, we must learn how to keep children safe and in the confines of the law,” the Minister stated.

This will see a community of people working together with the common goal of building a prosperous and thriving society for children.

The Ministry’s CPA continues to work tirelessly to implement policy and strategies that will protect children at all costs.