Do we love our children enough? — a local charity charged with strengthening families is asking.

"I don't think so" answers its executive director.

Martha Dismont of The Family Centre said neglect and abuse of children on the Island are far more widespread and common than most residents want to acknowledge.

To mark the Universal Day of the Child on Tuesday, the charity will be having an open house from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and organisers hope to get the community thinking about how much we really love our children — and how we show that love.

"The question must be answered in order to come up with effective solutions to the challenges facing Bermuda's youth and families today," Mrs. Dismont said. "In this community, neglect and abusive situations are more prevalent when we are willing to admit.

"Of course some neglect, such as exposure to domestic violence and drugs, is occurring on a daily basis for the most vulnerable children but the pace of our lifestyle is leading to subtler problems that are far more common.

"Children are being subjected to situations where parents are rarely home and siblings are caring for little ones for long periods of time. What can we do as a community to start heading in the right direction? What must we do?"

The charity strives to come up with strategies and solutions to make all families stronger.

"The thing that protects children from unhealthy and destructive influences like drugs, crime and gangs is the love and positive attention of nurturing adults in their lives," Mrs. Dismont said. "Young people choose to become involved in destructive behaviours and take risks because they have nothing to lose.

"When a young person values the deep and committed relationships that they have with family members, teachers and neighbours, they have something tremendously valuable to lose and they will protect those precious relationships.

"Every society has a responsibility to ensure that polices, laws and expectations support responsible parenting and protect vulnerable children.

"Bermuda is no exception and many people work hard to improve policies and to set the best expectations for adults but policies and laws can only require minimum expectations."

She added: "I didn't see one thing of serious significance to children it the Throne Speech!"

Changes to support families must be tackled by communities rather than Government, she suggested, however.

"Love cannot be mandated or legislated," she said. "The choice to be compassionate and thoughtful when we interact with our children and other young people is a responsibility that each of us must consider and then dig deep to practice. We must work hard at it if we are to do our part in ensuring that our people become successful, mature and responsible adults."

To help achieve a society better geared toward the nurturing of children, The Family Centre will be launching a series of initiatives which will take place over the next year.

These initiatives are aimed at providing parents in out community with more tools to be successful at parenting.

"We will be available to community groups, businesses, organisations and individual families to provide parenting tips and understanding of the developmental stages of growth for children," Mrs. Dismont said. "It is critical to begin to get our 'village' sharing the parenting responsibility for raising our children.

"Sharing the load is a must; there are very few parents on this Island or anywhere else in the world that have ever done it successfully, alone. It all starts, however, with answering the question, 'Are we loving our children enough?'."

* The public is encouraged to come to The Family Centre's Open House on Tuesday. November 20 marks the day that the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959. Staff will be available to discuss practical parenting tips and the work that The Family Centre does to strengthen children and families. All are welcome at The Family Centre, Charites House, 25 Point Finger Road in Paget.