There are many themes set for Child Month throughout the world. Here , in the Cayman Islands, it is “Be Strong! Be Brave! Be You!”

The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is organising a host of interactive events that start on Friday May 3^rd and continue to Saturday 1^st June.

You can view the whole list of events in our iNews Briefs & Community Events section. You will find something to appeal.

In Jamaica the theme is “Take Action! Break the Chain of Abuse Against our Children”.

In 2016 the Jamaica Observer asked a number of teens aging from 15 – 18 “What Child Month means to me”. These are their answers:

Travis Rowe, 17:

Child Month is important to me because I think it’s important for the country to acknowledge and empower children to achieve their goals.

Tiean Roberts, 18:

Child Month is important because it gives us the opportunity to pay even more attention to the future of this country and it brings awareness to things affecting children and how we can fix them more than any other time of the year.

Serrano Messado, 18:

Isn’t it great to honour our children? They are the future, the next generation. Children are the ones who are going to carry on the legacy and the foundation made for them, therefore, they prized possessions and should be honoured.

Romain Kenton, 17:

For me, Child Month is a period in which children should feel that society appreciates them for their gifts, talents, strengths and weaknesses. It’s a celebration, a thanksgiving of their precious lives right now and the future impact they will have on society. However, my concern is that rather than one month for the year, similar attention should be paid every month of the year.

James Braham, 15:

Child Month is important for it is a point within the year when we recognise our nation’s children even more than we do throughout the year. We’re special! Child Month is our time to be appreciated, since we also celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Brittany Clarke, 18:

Child Month shows that children are still appreciated and seen as essential aspects of our present and future. By recognising our children’s talents and achievements and showing that we care, it can help to foster their development and empower them to become strong future leaders. Our children, our future.

Leneka Rhoden, 18:

I like Child Month not only because it’s loaded with fun activities, prizes and surprises but because in celebrating this we are urged to remember and honour the vital role that our children play in contributing to the development of our society. Notable stakeholders take into consideration at this time, how is it that they can safeguard our precious bundles of joy, as they are reminded that our children are the future of the nation. While it shouldn’t be that children are celebrated only one month for the year, Child Month serves to highlight the various achievements of our young ones and for that, its importance cannot be overstated.

Taniel Campbell, 15:

Child Month is important to me because this is the one month of the year that the future generation gets recognised. Through this recognition, as children we feel encouraged to carry on the legacy that trailblazers before us had left. This recognition is important because children are the future and if we don’t seek to encourage the future, what will become of the future?

SOURCE: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/career/what-child-month-means-to-me_60162

It would be nice if we could hear what our own Cayman teens think what child month means to them.