The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development are urging parents to make school days safe and happy. A release yesterday from the Health Ministry urged parents to plan for after-school care and safety for their children. "Children are at higher risk for exploitation, abuse and accidents if left unsupervised. "Accidental injury is the leading cause of deaths among school aged children in T&T," the release said. Following are a few tips released by the ministry to help keep children safe after school:
• Children should know their full name, their address, home phone number and a number to call in case of emergency (an office phone number or cell phone);
• For smaller children, tape your contact information on the inside of their book bag;
• Arrange a safe place for your children to stay after school, before you finish work. Get references from family, friends, and neighbours, Once you have chosen the caregiver, it's always helpful to drop in unexpectedly to see how they are doing. Ask your children how the day was, and listen carefully to what they say;
• Members of the community should keep an eye out to ensure that children get safe passage through the community to their homes. Parents can organise among themselves to take turns supervising and walking children home;
• Make an after-school timetable of the activities your children can do when they get home, and check it when you get home;
• Keep a list of emergency numbers- Police, Fire, a relative-on the fridge or in a place known to your children;
• Tell your children whose homes they are allowed to go to if they have a problem or if there is an emergency.