Page 2150 - Week 10 - Thursday, 26 October 1989
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CHILDREN'S WEEK
Ministerial Statement and Paper
MR BERRY (Minister for Community Services and Health), by leave: It gives me great pleasure to draw the Assembly's attention to the fact that Children's Week is being celebrated in the ACT this week. In doing this I would particularly like to highlight the area of children's day care services.
ACT Children's Week began as a child-care week in 1975 and is now celebrated around Universal Children's Day. Universal Children's Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1954 as a day to promote friendship and understanding among the children of the world. UNICEF has been charged with the task of developing the concept world-wide. Universal Children's Day is now observed in 149 countries around the world as an annual day for world-wide fraternity and understanding among children.
All States of Australia observe Children's Week during October, with special emphasis being placed on Universal Children's Day on the fourth Wednesday in October. Children's Week committees throughout Australia receive small grants from the Federal and some State governments. The convening body in the ACT is the ACT Children's Week Committee, which is made up of community volunteers and government departmental representatives. The Chief Minister is honorary president of the committee. The committee coordinates the program in conjunction with ACT community organisations and individuals. My department provides assistance to the committee by providing secretarial support. The committee aims to celebrate childhood and to focus on children's accomplishments, needs and rights.
Children's Week reminds us to make genuine efforts to engender a community feeling of pride and protectiveness, so that our children live and develop in security and grow to enrich our future society. This year I am pleased to note that some 120 activities have taken place in Children's Week in the ACT. This represents a tremendous effort on the part of many people.
These activities are directed at children, parents, carers, teachers and others involved in children's services. Children's Week focuses on educational programs, for example, art and craft, road safety and storytelling; recreational programs, for example, picnics, walks, films and musical events; multicultural programs, for example, international food festivals, cultural awareness, folk dance and plays. It is also directed towards increasing the public's awareness of existing programs.
At this point, Mr Speaker, may I draw your attention to the Federal Labor Government's commitment to the elimination of child poverty in Australia.
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