A community-wide effort is needed to tackle the Island’s social problems and build a brighter future for our children — and every resident is being asked to step up and make a difference.

A reinvigorated push to aid Bermuda’s youngsters is being rolled out by the Inter Agency Committee for Children and Families (IAC) to coincide with the United Nations’ Universal Children’s Day tomorrow, from 10am.

The IAC intends to outline its new Children’s Agenda of Priorities at a public meeting and hopes that the community will participate.

“On Thursday, the IAC will host a convening of social service agencies, parents and youth to discuss the needs of children in Bermuda and to set priorities for action,” IAC chairwoman Martha Dismont said earlier.

“The Children’s Agenda is an effort spearheaded by the Inter Agency Committee for Children and Families in conjunction with their grassroots stakeholders that seeks to raise the profile of the current needs of Bermuda’s children and to join with partners in advocacy to ensure these needs are met.

“The main goal of the Children’s Agenda is to develop a comprehensive framework keenly oriented to promote and safeguard the welfare of all children less than 18 years of age in Bermuda.”

Founded in 1997, the IAC is a network of public and private organisations that offer helping services to children and families.

The group has spent the past three years conducting interviews and compiling research on the needs of vulnerable children and families on the Island, including an analysis of where gaps may also exist in service.

The Children’s Agenda of Priorities is a direct response to the identified needs for a coordinated and effective network of service provision.

The IAC hopes recommendations will emerge from the convening meeting on Thursday which will lead to a commitment to action from the groups that are present.

“The development of this strategy proceeds from the premise that the absence of a comprehensive approach to the fulfillment of the rights of Bermuda’s children creates the potential for disconnections in the continuum of care,” Ms Dismont said.

“On a whole, the Government of Bermuda, by rights, has aggressively sought to develop a broad platform and key elements of the necessary framework for fulfiling its obligation to safeguarding the rights of children in Bermuda.

“By the Government recognising its commitments, resources have been deployed or allocated to provide a range of social services for children and families and to secure the progressive realisation of rights notwithstanding prevailing economic conditions.

“As a result, many children in Bermuda are protected within functional and loving families. Legal and practiced mechanisms are in place to facilitate this.

“However, where this does not exist there is an ethical imperative which speaks to ensuring that those children have access to benefits and services of which they need and are entitled.”

Ms Dismont said there was an undeniable link between sound social policy, social investment in children, and economic development and productivity.

“As such, the development of a National Child Protection and Safeguard Strategy will play an inimitable role in upping the ante in Bermuda in terms of the quantum amount of investment of resources targeted at securing children’s right to education and health and protecting them from chronic neglect, abuse, violence, exploitation and maltreatment.

“The creation of a full-fledged, dynamic and child-centred system of care for Bermudian children which is responsive to and effective in meeting the needs of children and families, particularly those who are most vulnerable and/or on the fringes of society, necessitates a determined and concerted effort.

“Such a system will acknowledge that children and families face a complex cocktail of circumstances that affect their well-being. Therefore, identifying and developing a deep understanding and appreciation of the key challenges with which children and families are confronted will provide an evidence based launching pad for action from all fronts.”

Service providers and those at tomorrow’s meeting will be encouraged to commit to help to fill the gaps that exist and to serve as advocates for changes in practice, policy and legislation.

“This will hopefully begin the process of ensuring that an effective service provision network is established that supports the overall well-being of children,” Mrs Dismont said.

The public is invited to attend the Convening Meeting tomorrow, November 20th from 10am until 1pm, at the BIU Building, 2nd floor, Union Street, Hamilton.

A light lunch will be provided. Those wishing to attend should RSVP iac@prevention.bm, or call 232-1116, and leave a message for Lavern Griffin.