Minister of Social Services and Community Development, the Hon. Melanie Sharon Griffin with members of the St. Thomas More Primary Choir at the conclusion of Thursday's Child Protection Month Church Service. (BIS Photo/Matt Maura)

NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Ministry of Social Services and Community Development will continue to work closely with its many partners to ensure that the children of The Bahamas are protected from all forms of abuse, Minister of Social Services and Community Development, the Hon. Melanie Sharon Griffin promised students attending a Child Protection Month Church Service.

Held at Salem Union Baptist Church, Taylor Street, the Church Service was attended by students from both the Public and Private schools, and is one of many activities planned for New Providence and the Family Islands during the month of April which is celebrated annually locally as Child Protection Month.

“No one has the right to abuse children,” Mrs. Griffin said. “Child abuse is wrong, it is harmful, and no child should be subjected to abuse from anybody.”

Mrs. Griffin said officials at the Ministry will continue to partner with the Royal Bahamas Police Force, The National Child Protection Council (NCPC), the Ministry of Health through the Department of Public Health and its Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Unit, Private and Public Schools, the hospital and health clinics and others, to ensure that “the safety of our children remains paramount.”

“While my Ministry, through the Department of Social Services, has responsibility for investigating cases expeditiously, there are many other partners in the process. The safety of the children is paramount and actions are taken, and will continue to be taken, to ensure this.

“I cannot over-emphasize that child abuse is a national problem [as] it affects children in every community. Hence, we must ensure that the information is shared throughout The Bahamas.”

Mrs. Griffin said a number of events have been planned over the course of the month of April (in particular) and beyond in New Providence and the Family Islands that are designed to raise awareness of the need for the protection of all children.

The Social Services Minister traveled to Inagua on Friday, April 17, to participate in a Youth March and Rally and will attend events in other islands “to ensure that our children are educated about child abuse and are safe and sound in their homes no matter in which part of The Bahamas they may live.”

“We will continue our efforts to educate and inform persons about abuse especially our children in order for them to be better able to protect themselves from abuse. The Department of Social Services, in conjunction with partners such as the National Child Protection Council (NCPC) and the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Unit of the Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, will be sponsoring events to call attention to all forms of child abuse and the importance of preventing all forms of abuse.

“The Department, the Council and the SCAN Unit each play a significant role in this regard and they, along with other partners, are as our theme promotes -- ‘Working Together To Stop Child Abuse.’”

Minister Griffin said the Service gave Child Protection officials an opportunity to highlight the importance of “us seeking the protection of God for our children, our families and our communities.”

“Let us continue to allow Him to be our guide and helper in this fight. I ask everyone to remember that our children are the future of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. It is up to us to work together to stop child abuse thereby securing the future of our country.”