06 May 2016
In the week leading up to National Children’s Day (15 May) the States of Jersey’s 1001 Critical Days and Early Years Taskforce is teaming up with partner agencies to promote the importance of the health and wellbeing of all the family and the benefits of making time to be together.
National Children’s Day, now in its third year, highlights the need to protect the rights and freedoms of children in order to ensure that they grow into happy healthy adults. It focuses on how important the wellbeing of adults is to this process. Every day next week a Jersey based charity or organisation will be running an event in support of National Children’s Day promoting the message that we all need more time to:
- Be together
- Cook together
- Play together
- Read together
Finishing work on time
Throughout the week the Jersey Childcare Trust will be encouraging employers to share the 'Go Home on Time' message with their employees as part of an initiative to help families spend more time together. Melissa Nobrega from Caring Cooks of Jersey will be posting a recipe a day on the charity's Facebook page as well as giving out recipes in town on Thursday 12 May.
Schedule of events
Other initiatives running this week that will be supporting National Children’s Day include:
• Schools cyber-safety week being run by Prison Me No Way
• Questions in a jar at St Mary’s primary school
• 5210 smoothie competition- part of the Fit for Future strategy
• Parenting Support Open Day at the Bridge
• Growing a kindness tree at Brighter Futures
• It’s a Knock Out
• The Durrell Dash
Holistic approach
The Minister for Home Affairs, Deputy Kristina Moore, said “1001 Critical Days is about strengthening the bond within families which give better outcomes for children. From reading to your baby, cooking meals for toddlers to safe internet use, various groups across the Island work hard to ensure information is available so parents have the support they need for all stages of childhood. I’m delighted that National Children’s Day is giving us an opportunity to further raise awareness of the work being done.
"It’s also important that we acknowledge the link between adult and child well-being as our approach must be holistic if it is to be effective. The go home on time message being promoted by JCCT is one example of this and I hope it is shared as widely as possible.”
For more information Islanders are being asked to follow the States of Jersey Facebook page where details of all the events running this week will be posted.
gov.je