Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to inform this Honorable House and the general public about an exciting initiative, Nurturing our Nation: Imperfect Parenting Series, that provides an opportunity for the Ministry of Social Development and Seniors; the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS); and industry professional to collaborate in providing resources that are designed to assist families.
Mr. Speaker, DCFS conducts quarterly Family Strengths and Needs assessments on all families engaged in intervention services with the department. Annual data gathered from these assessments indicate that two of the highest priority areas of need for most primary caregivers are the need for support in the areas of coping and parenting skills. Being aware of this need within the community the Ministry of Social Development and seniors, and DCFS was keen to find a way to ensure primary caregivers were given the support and tools to help them strengthen themselves as parents/guardians.
Mr. Speaker, the Ministry and the Department of Child and Family Services collaborated with industry professionals to develop this initiative – Nurturing our Nation – Imperfect Parenting Series, to provide valuable resources and connections through:-
- live stream panel discussions
- focus groups
- Parenting Expo
The purpose of this initiative is to educate primary caregivers and assist them in providing practical solutions such as coping and parenting skills that enables community development.
Mr. Speaker, Nurturing our Nation: Imperfect Parenting Series panel discussions are held twice a month starting at 12:30pm LIVE on Facebook (@mosds.bda and @bdagovernment), Twitter (@bdagovernment), YouTube (@citvbermuda), and CITV (One Communications Channel 2 and WOW Channel 102). The first panel discussion was held on Wednesday, 22nd of September 2022, which panelist discussed and answered questions on the topic – Routines.
Mr. Speaker, the upcoming live stream panel discussions schedule is as follows:-
- Boundaries (i.e. setting boundaries for your child) on Thursday, September 29
- Effects of Bullying and Domestic Violence on Children on Thursday, October 20
- Co-Parenting and Nurturing Parents on Thursday, October 27
- Personal Care and Wellness on Thursday, November 17
- Nutrition and Meal Planning on Thursday, November 24
I reiterate these discussions will start at 12:30 pm on all the Government of Bermuda virtual platforms and CITV. I encourage members in our community to submit questions to the e-mail address: askus@gov.bm before discussion dates to add to what I believe will be a wholesome discussion.
Mr. Speaker, the panelists that will be participating in panel discussions include representatives from numerous Government Departments and community organizations namely – Department of Child and Family Services; Child Development Program; Department of Health; Bermuda Police Service; The Family
Centre, The Coalition for the Protection of Children; ParentGuide LLC; Tele Connect; PsyNeu Wellness; Centre Against Abuse; Women’s Resource Centre; Ocean Rock Wellness; and Beyond Therapy.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage parents, guardians, grandparents and other members of our community who are part of a ‘family support village’ to watch these panel discussions. Many times parents/guardians (caregivers) feel helpless trying to cope with their children, and think issues their child or family is experiencing is in isolation, but this is not true. You are not alone. Many parents/guardians, and families regardless of factors such as race, sex, educational background, religious denomination and financial status have similar experiences when raising a child. These similar experiences could be for example not being able to cope at times, finding home and work life balance, unaware of support resources within the community, and not being able to communicate with your child.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to remind parents/guardians that we are not perfect, and we all will make mistakes when parenting a child. We must remember not to be hard on ourselves and also not be judgmental of others. Parenting is definitely not easy. However, I believe this initiative will provide awareness of information, support and services that is readily available in the community that can assist with coping, and enhance positive parenting skills.
Mr. Speaker, as stated earlier the Nurturing our Nation: Imperfect Parenting Series includes a Parenting Expo. This Expo will have vendor participants that represent various industry professionals from Government Departments/Agencies, and community organizations. These participants provide community programs; child development support and services; mental health support and services; parent support; education support; and extra-curricular activities. The Parenting Expo will be held on Thursday, November 10, 2022 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on the Front Lawn at the City Hall in Hamilton. Please save the date and look out for further information that will be announced in the media and on social platforms.
Mr. Speaker, residents should be receiving a Nurturing our Nation: Imperfect Parenting Series mailer sometime soon. This mailer includes the panel discussion schedule and monthly parenting tips, which I believe will be useful in educating primary caregivers. The parenting tips can provide ways for not just the primary caregiver to enhance themselves, and other caregivers, but also suggests ways to engage, and encourage your child. I recommend you try to use the tips in your daily routine.
Mr. Speaker, the Government remains committed to our parents, children and families and recognizes that there are gaps in the level of awareness some primary caregivers. Many of the caregivers in our community can truly benefit from sessions to assist with coping strategies, parenting skills and attaining community support. I believe Nurturing our Nation: Imperfect Parenting Series will help to close some of the existing gaps by educating and providing resources to primary caregivers. It is hoped this would allow us to start healing the foundation of our families – Primary Caregivers. Once our families experience healing, then, together we can work collectively to heal our Nation.
In closing, the quote by Art Solomon, Anishinaabe Elder comes to mind, “To heal a nation we must first heal the individuals, the families, and the communities.”
Thank you, Mr. Speaker!