News Updates

The family is the pillar of our society. Strong societies are built on strong families. Good parents raise good families and good kids. To that end, Minister Glenn Blakeney announced the Parenting Tool Kit Symposium which will take place at three locations across the island from noon - 6 pm on Saturday, September 24th, 2011. The locations of the Symposium are Sandys Middle School, West Pembroke Primary School and Francis Patton Primary School. Minister Blakeney explains the need: It is well-known that families are the building blocks of a strong, cohesive society; family is where people learn to be good citizens, to take responsibility, and to live in harmony with others. Providers of social services have long recognized the critical importance of successful parenting to the positive development of children, families and healthy relationships. In seeking to find ways to strengthen families, the Bermuda Family Council, a non-statutory Board under the auspices of the Department of Child and Family Services, developed the idea of holding a parenting symposium. I am delighted that the idea has now moved from concept to reality... I believe the Parenting Tool Kit Symposium will play a critical role in assisting families to build lifelong relationships based upon sound parenting principles throughout all stages of their children’s development. Minister Blakeney goes on to describe what will be presented at the Symposium: The Symposium is anchored on 6 pillars of parenting: spirituality, health and wellness, food and nutrition, family budgeting, education and strong family values. Some believe that much of Bermuda’s present social concerns and challenges, (e.g. sub-optimal educational performance, gang culture, violence and crime) are rooted in a lack of strong parenting skills and family values, which have deteriorated and to some extent, contributed to the various dysfunctions that have significantly impacted our community over the past several years. To help counteract this trend of increasing anti-social behavior among our youth, and to promote strong, healthy families, I strongly encourage as many parents as possible to attend who are looking to obtain first-hand practical knowledge on parenting topics such as How To Instill Values and Spirituality, Surviving The Teenage Age Years, Boys And Identity, Parenting Through Separation And Divorce, and Families Aren’t Born They’re Made. Indeed, parents should make a very special effort to attend this very enlightening Symposium. We believe that parents who attend the Symposium will find that it is an ideal forum for them to learn about effective parenting and how to become better at raising their children, while accessing the information and essential parenting tools geared to successfully addressing the ever changing dynamics of the twenty first century. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the role of the Bermuda Family Council, represented here today by co-chairmen Dr. Roy Wright and Mr. Christopher Dill, for their stellar work in organizing this Symposium and spearheading new initiatives to assist the Bermudian family. Also present are Mr. Alfred Maybury, Director of the Department of Child and Family Services and Ms. Denise Carey, Programme Manager for Residential Treatment Services. In conjunction with, and in preparation for, the upcoming Symposium, a Practitioners Round Table Discussion will be held today from 2pm – 4pm at Charities House on Point Finger Road. The family service providers will be meeting to discuss the Symposium itself and also the roll-out of monthly programming on parenting from October 2011 through October 2012. More information on these monthly events will be available at the Symposium, and will be shared with the general public in due course. It is also important for me to thank the Ministry of Education and the principals of the three (3) schools involved for supporting this initiative by agreeing to the use of their school facilities to host this Symposium. We hope that you make plans to attend a Symposium on Saturday, September 24th from noon-6 pm. Once again, there will be a Symposium near you at Sandys Middle School, West Pembroke Primary School and Francis Patton Primary School. See you there.