Fi We Children Foundation urges real youth input in Jamaican policy decisions

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Fi We Children Foundation is using Child Month to press national leaders, schools, institutions and community interests to give children and young people a real place in shaping decisions that affect them.

In a statement issued Thursday, the organisation said young Jamaicans are often told to speak up, but are still left out of many national and community forums where decisions are made. The foundation said their involvement should not be treated as decoration, adding that serious youth participation is needed for safer schools, stronger communities and development policies that include more Jamaicans.

“Young people are not just future leaders — they are leaders now. Policies surrounding education, violence prevention, mental health, climate resilience, reproductive justice, and child protection cannot be effectively designed without listening to the lived experiences of children and youth,” stated Youth Advocate Sabrina Barnes.

The foundation is calling on government ministries and agencies, schools, civil society groups and private sector partners to put in place consultation systems that are built around young people. It said those processes must go further than token appearances and should involve direct engagement, openness and follow-through from those making decisions.

The organisation said children and youth understand their own realities best, and that excluding them from discussions about matters affecting them can weaken the search for solutions that are lasting and effective.

During Child Month, Fi We Children Foundation said it remains focused on stronger safeguards for children, empowerment programmes and opportunities that allow Jamaican youth to help shape the society they will inherit. It is also urging parents, teachers, community figures and policymakers to create spaces where children feel protected, heard and confident enough to take part in conversations about their rights and wellbeing.