KINGSTON, Jamaica – With child safety concerns on the rise, leading advocates are calling on corporate Jamaica to move beyond token donations and take an active role in safeguarding the nation’s youth.
One of the organizations spearheading this movement is Hear The Children’s Cry (HTCC), a child advocacy group that has been a beacon of support for vulnerable children for over two decades. Through a series of new projects, HTCC is urging companies to integrate child protection initiatives into their corporate strategies, ensuring a lasting impact on communities.
The Growing Need for Corporate Involvement
With limited resources and an increasing number of children in need, non-profits like HTCC face constant financial strain. Director Nigel Cooper believes that while businesses have historically supported charities, a more structured approach is required.
“We need to rethink how companies engage with child protection,” Cooper said. “Beyond donations, businesses have the power to implement workplace policies that support parents, fund sustainable programs, and use their platforms to spread awareness about issues like missing children and family safety.”
Expanding the Scope of Child Advocacy
HTCC, founded by the late Betty Ann Blaine, has played a crucial role in tackling Jamaica’s child welfare challenges, offering services such as:
- Counseling for families in crisis
- Emergency support for missing children cases
- School-based programs to promote child safety awareness
The organization is now reaching out to companies willing to form long-term partnerships to fund and expand these initiatives.
A New Model for Corporate Responsibility
Unlike traditional one-off donations, HTCC is looking for companies to embed child welfare into their business models, whether through workplace education programs, direct funding for intervention services, or public advocacy campaigns.
“Jamaican businesses can do so much more,” Cooper emphasized. “If we work together, we can create a system where no child falls through the cracks.”
As HTCC’s campaign gains momentum, the question now shifts to how many companies will rise to the occasion—and how far corporate Jamaica is willing to go to protect its children.
