Cox: Parenting programme helps families, society

MINISTER of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox launched her ministry’s parenting programme workshop at a function at Port of Spain City Hall on November 20.

Communications Minister Symon de Nobriga was also present, as MP for Diego Martin Central, one of the first areas set to benefit from this year’s programme, along with Arima.

Reflecting on adults’ huge responsibility to shape future leaders, Cox mused, “I wonder, can anyone really be fully prepared for the enormous responsibility that is parenting?

“The impact of our actions today will reverberate for years to come, influencing the future of our nation and the world.”

Cox said the strength of this society lay in the strength of its families, which provide foundational “values, skills and nurturing environments” for future generations.

She said her ministry was steadfast in the belief that strengthening families was central to addressing some of the society’s most pressing challenges such as poverty, crime, domestic violence, child abuse and elderly abuse. “Strengthening families is not just a moral imperative. It is a necessity for building a sustainable, prosperous future TT.”

Cox said the National Parenting Programme offers parents the tools, guidance and support they need to become effective caregivers.

“Through this programme we have reached thousands of persons across the nation, offering practical solutions to every day parenting challenges.”

She said the the launch of the programme coincided with International Children’s Day, on the heels of International Men’s Day the day before.

Cox noted growing concerns about the challenges of modern-day parenting.

“Families are facing increasing pressures, and we have witnessed a rise in youth-related violence and the struggles many parents encounter in nurturing their children amidst the complexities of a rapidly changing world.

“Right now, we are in a battle for the hearts and minds of our children, and it is a battle we are committed to win.”

She said her ministry saw the need for parents to have the emotional, psychological and social resources to raise resilient, well-adjusted children.

More programmes to come

Cox listed other initiatives being undertaken by her ministry.

Sixteen Days of Activism, from November 25-December 20, will aim to curb domestic violence and promote healthy family environments.

To help parents of youngsters with disabilities, she announced a Growth, Understanding, Inclusion, Development and Empowerment (GUIDE) seminar on December 6.

Cox said parenting workshops would start in Arima and Diego Martin, and then be held in Belmont, Arouca and Carapichaima, followed by Aranguez/El Socorro and Penal/Debe and more communities.

Another initiative – Becoming TT (BeTnT) Parenting Workshops will start in November at the Desperadoes panyard.

It will be expanded nationwide and offer targeted support for diverse parenting needs.

Cox also announced a Family Fun Fest/Family Services Expo for April 2025, Thriving as a Mum seminar in May 2025, and Parenting for Men seminar in June 2025.

A Grandparents Workshop will be held next year, she added.

Cox concluded, “It is said, ‘When parents fail in their duties, societies pay the price.’ So we must not fail.”

De Nobriga gave an unscripted, heartfelt account of being a divorced father or two teenage children who themselves must deal with issues in this society.

He said this was a society where people daily faced challenges without respite and children faced constant distress. Warning of adults bringing home their work problems, he
said children need to grow in a place of love.

He said parenting was a team sport, even as families were constantly changing making things “very, very difficult.”

Permanent secretary Lenor Baptiste-Simmons said families were under increasing pressure, including pressure
on youngsters and the fact of a digital world, pointing out: “We are raising not just children, but the future leaders of the country.”

Children’s Authority director Sheldon Cyrus said child neglect could result from failing to take an
ill child to the dentist or doctor, or leaving them home alone, however briefly.

For each case of child abuse publicised in the media, he said, hundreds of other cases existed, and warned that sometimes the primary caregiver was a child’s main abuser.

Cox said details of the parenting programmes and how to apply were on her ministry’s various online platforms such as Facebook.