It is estimated that as a result of the attendance of school guidance counsellors and counsellors at Wednesday’s Trauma-Informed Care Workshop, over 5,000 school children will be impacted.
Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Mark Franklin, highlighted this as he delivered remarks at the start of the jointly sponsored workshop by the Child Care Board (CCB) and the Barbados Public Workers’ Cooperative Credit Union Limited (BPWCCUL). It was held at the 3Ws Oval, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.
Adding that the Ministry understands “children are our future and it takes a village to rear a child”, he stressed: “It is why we support such training, because it allows us to partner with other ministries as well as corporate Barbados. We understand that we have to adopt the village rearing paradigm if we are to ensure the well-being and future of our nation’s children.
“We understand the need to build capacity to help build hope and resilience in our children and that is why we have partnered with the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, as well as the Barbados Public Workers’ Cooperative Credit Union Limited. We hope that more partnerships like this will develop and continue.”
While he expressed the hope that other ministries would engage in similar training to aid children to become healthy, responsible, and productive citizens, he called on participants to conduct their own research, expand and enhance their knowledge base on the area of trauma.
Director of the Child Care Board, RoseAnn Richards, in welcoming participants, described the Trauma-Informed Care Workshop as timely, since it brought together sponsors and partners – the BPWCCUL, the Ministry of Education, Technical and Vocational Training, and the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Defining trauma, Ms. Richards stressed: “Trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that can have a profound physical and emotional impact on a person. It can be caused by a single event, such as a car accident or a natural disaster, or by repeated exposure to stressful or traumatic situations, such as child abuse or domestic violence.
Meanwhile, Chief Human Resource Officer with BPWCCUL, Jacqueline Caesar, praising the partnership, said: “The decision to support this workshop aligns perfectly with our values of compassion, community, and personal development. Initiatives like these are essential for Barbados, as they promote not only individual healing but also collective growth. We are proud to be a part of a movement that recognises the profound effects of trauma and strives to address them with empathy and expertise.”
Acknowledging it was also an investment in the future generation, she added: “The return on investment stands to be substantive when we invest in the next generation. The management of trauma augurs well to the sustainability of a mentally strong workforce who seem to manage more issues compared to the previous generation….
“We see our support as the investment in our entire society and the economy as we build relations and partner with the Child Care Board…. We look forward to the youth being the main benefactors of such training that is sure to catapult their overall socialisation on a critical path to success.”
The workshop formed part of the CCB’s activities for Child Month, being held under the theme: Our Children: Building Hope and Resilience for Tomorrow.