OAS Official Says Caribbean Culture Strengthens Early Childhood Development

Dr. Maria Julia Garcete Yegros, Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Children and Adolescents of the Organization of American States (OAS), says the Caribbean’s deep social bonds, creativity and endurance are important assets in the work of early-childhood development.

She made the point while speaking recently at the seventh annual Early Childhood Commission (ECC) Professional Development Institute, staged at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.

"Being here in the Caribbean reminds me [that] you have something very powerful. This region is rich in culture, in community, in resilience, in creativity, and it is precisely this strength that makes your work with young children so meaningful and so necessary," she stated.

Dr. Garcete Yegros said early-childhood workers in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean occupy an important position in community life, helping to nurture children while also supporting their safety and protection.

"Here in Jamaica and across the Caribbean, where community and human connection are so deeply rooted, your role carries a special force. You are at the heart of communities… you are part of the fabric that holds them together," she added.

She said children’s rights have real value when young people are treated with respect, supported to develop, and allowed to share their views within caring and enabling spaces.

Dr. Garcete Yegros also restated the Inter-American Institute for Children and Adolescents’ support for Caribbean countries as they work to improve systems that protect children and strengthen families.

However, she told participants that laws and policies cannot achieve the desired results without the daily commitment of those who work directly with children.

"It is your daily work, your dedication, your care, your love that makes the difference," Dr. Garcete Yegros emphasised.

The four-day ECC conference was held under the theme ‘Making Rights Real, Reclaiming General Comment 7’ and focused on approaches to better protect and promote children’s rights in the early years.