Chairman of the National Child Protection Council, Pastor Gil Maycock (2nd from right) was accompanied to the San Diego International Conference of Child and Family Maltreatment, by NCPC Members, Jasmine Harper, Michelle Mitchell-Lloyd, Lorraine Duvalier, Maria Kelley, Cecilia Strachan, and Co-Chair- Dr. Novia Carter.

Nassau, Bahamas – Seven Members of The National Child Protection Council attended the 29th Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment January 24-29, 2015 in San Diego, California, U.S.A.. The conference was presented by the Chadwick Center for Children and Families at Rady Children’s Hospital to meet the learning and networking needs of professionals working with families experiencing violence. Learning clusters addressed protective factors, trauma, resiliency, partnerships, engagement, forensic interviewing, the latest in child brain research and the impact of toxic stress, child abuse investigations, infant and early childhood mental health, child pornography, the sexual offender, positive parenting, play therapy, the sexual abuse of the special needs child, the role of technology in the exploitation and abuse of children, cyberbullying, domestic violence, and collective impact and systems change. Attending the Conference along with Chairman – Pastor Gil Maycock was Co-Chair – Dr. Novia Carter, and other Council Members, Ms. Maria Kelley, Mrs. Lorraine Duvalier, Miss Cecilia Strachan, Miss Jasmine Harper, and Mrs. Michelle Mitchell-Lloyd.

The National Child Protection Council (NCPC) is a government appointed volunteer committee founded in 1999 to develop a nation-wide concerted plan of action against child abuse. The council is also mandated to advise the Minister of Social Services on matters relating to child abuse. It studies, evaluates and recommends ways to continually address the problem of child abuse. The NCPC has conducted annual workshops and conferences for relevant stakeholders related to child abuse. Workshops for grade school and high school students educating them on various abuses they may experience or witness, along with their Rights and responsibilities are held as well. The Council endeavors to educate the general public on the definition of child abuse and child protection laws while offering solutions to prevent abuses. It has developed colouring books and safety tips for children and parents that have been distributed to schools throughout the entire Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Its members also travel to the Family Islands to meet with school children and communities to discuss child protection.

Pastor Gil Maycock, Chairman of the National Child Protection Council offered that he was happy that as many Council Members were able to attend the Conference. He said that “the Conference was greatly needed because the sessions offered a broad spectrum of the criminal acts, areas of maltreatment against children worldwide and gave suggestions on how we can protect them. This is something that will go a long way in our helping to advise the Minister on ways to protect our children. We also saw how global trends of nefarious persons that seek to hurt children for personal gratification and gain, can creep into our local community through social media or through some of the negative impacts of growth and development. With the knowledge we have garnered it will help us to do a more effective and efficient job at promoting the ways to protect our children in The Bahamas.”

According to Dr. Novia Carter, Co-Chair of the National Child Protection Council, “To facilitate the dissemination of the information gleaned from the conference, the NCPC will host an All 4 Kids Gatekeepers Training Seminar on March 4, 2015, under the theme: ‘ Risk Prevention 4 All’. The Seminar will bring together professionals, researchers, social workers, psychologists, guidance counsellors, police officers, parents, and volunteers from a wide variety of disciplines who share a commitment to ensuring the well-being of children. We seek to provide a

crossroads where those who are committed to achieving better outcomes for children, youth and families can come together to learn from and support each other, take in new information, build new understanding, and reenergize for the always changing and challenging work ahead. During this seminar our expert professionals in the field will impart strong science based interventions with practical experience and “real” usable solutions which are geared towards replenishing and energizing all gatekeepers with a renewed passion and commitment to work with families to become healthy and free from physical abuse, sexual violence, and neglect. The NCPC contends that there is no one right or narrow path towards our vision of preventing child abuse and universal child well-being. It is only by making meaningful connections that we will continue to find our way. We hope that all gatekeepers will take full advantage of this unique opportunity to test your thinking against that of many others, expanding your knowledge to better prepare you for an ever-changing world. Only through our combined efforts as gatekeepers can we increase understanding of the important roles of prevention, family support, and community involvement in protecting children from abuse and neglect”.