Child Month: Let’s Help to Prioritise our Children’s Mental Health in Jamaica

Each May, Jamaica recognizes Child Month, dedicated to celebrating and highlighting children’s rights, well-being, and development. Child Month is supported and celebrated by schools, communities, and organizations such as the Office of the Children's Advocate, with activities that promote children’s safety, protection, and overall development. Public education campaigns, school-based events, and community outreach efforts help raise awareness about positive parenting, recognizing signs of abuse, and the shared responsibility of protecting children. This year's celebration focuses on the theme ‘Prioritise Our Children’s Mental Health: Strong Minds, Safer Future’. 

How do we prioritise children's mental health? Not just in moments of celebration, but in their everyday lives? By increasing awareness and strengthening community involvement, these efforts aim to reduce the negative impacts on children’s mental health before it even occurs. When families and children feel supported and communities are informed, there are greater opportunities to create informed environments for children and their mental health. It is important that  communities  continue to focus on ensuring that children are safe, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential in all areas of development.

Early experiences shape children’s emotional regulation, sense of safety, and long-term development. When children experience trauma without adequate support, it can impact their mental health, behavior, and academic success. Over the past five years, the children of Jamaica have had to withstand many global and local challenges, such as Hurricane Melissa, the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing wars in the world, all of which can take a negative toll on their mental health (Hunter, 2026). Creating safe, stable, and supportive mental health wellness environments is essential in helping to reduce the effects of these types of traumas, not only during Child Month, but every day.

Knowing that environmental and global factors can influence children’s mental health reinforces the importance of trauma-informed care and the need to support both children and caregivers. Families who are overwhelmed or under-resourced may need support in order to provide safe and stable mentally healthy environments. When families know the signs to look for in mental health conditions, and what to do when they occur, they can better support their children. Strengthening communities, increasing access to services, and continuing these conversations beyond one month are critical steps in prioritizing our children’s mental health, to help develop and maintain stronger minds and safer futures for our children.

As we recognize Child Month in Jamaica, we are reminded that children’s mental health  is in part, shaped by the environments around them. Their mental wellness  is not accidental. It is built through intentional support from families, communities, and systems.

Celebrating children is important. Prioritising their mental health is essential.

Dr. Cynthia Lincke suggests these 5 ways to prioritise children’s mental health:

1. Ask children about their feelings and thoughts.

2. Listen keenly when children share how they are feeling and what they are thinking. 

3. Validate children’s feelings and thoughts.

4. Seek professional help for children when needed. 

5. Model healthy skills and tools to children to help them learn ways  to regulate their feelings and thoughts. 

   
   

   Reference:

   
   

Hunter, J. A. (2026, April 29). Child month 2026 to focus on children’s Mental Health. Jamaica Information Service. https://jis.gov.jm/child-month-2026-to-focus-on-childrens-mental-health/