The Inter-Agency Committee for Children and Families is hosting its Annual General Membership meeting next week.

Minister of Community, Culture, and Sport Patricia Gordon Pamplin is expected to make a representation along with two of Bermuda’s young people who will talk about the importance of reaching out for help during tough times.

The IAC includes charities such as, Pride Bermuda, Scars (Saving Children and Revealing Secrets), Family Centre, the Centre Against Abuse, the Department of Health, the Reading Clinic, the Adult Education Centre, Curb and many more.

Chairman Martha Dismont said: “A large portion of the IAC’s membership is Bermuda’s child and family serving charities. Over the past year, we are hearing that Bermuda’s critical charities, serving our most-at-risk children and families, are increasingly challenged with having the funds to serve these most at-risk families.

“Our responsibility as a community, government and donors, is to identify and make sure we are funding and supporting our most critical charities that are needed by our most vulnerable children and their families. “As the community struggles daily through this very difficult economic environment, including ongoing job losses, the demand for services continues to increase.

“Agencies who demonstrate solid outcomes should be supported with consistent funding. IAC’s aim is to provide agencies with training and best practice education to put them in a position to qualify for available funding. IAC’s partnership with the Bermuda National Standards Committee is also vital to ensure that agencies have a set of standards with which to aspire towards excellence in practice.”

Nadine Lapsley-Dyer, vice-chairman, and chairman of the training subcommittee, added: “In our interactions with many charities and in our observations, we are seeing charities that are struggling, or have had to close their doors this year.

“It is clear that there is a real need to expand training in capacity building to help equip organisations to achieve a level whereby they can pursue certification or accreditation.

“Also, we need to offer training to help organisations to sustain themselves with quality resources to be available for the continuum of care for children and families.

“With the help of the suggestions from organisations and individuals, IAC will be strongly focusing on how it can offer more training and workshops to equip individuals and organisations to meet the changing needs of children and families.”

Ms Dismont said that in October the IAC plans to invite member agencies to a strategic planning session to brainstorm how to better leverage the collective voices and resources to support the increasing needs of vulnerable children and families.

Social service agencies, parents and members of the public “dedicated to improving the lives of Bermuda’s families” are encouraged to attend the meeting.

It is due to take place on Tuesday, April 12 at 8.15am, at Charities House, 25 Point Finger Road, Paget.

People are invited to RSVP to iac@prevention.bm