Minister of Social Services Melanie Griffin said she would like to see more Bahamian families take responsibility for their relatives and their actions.

Minister Griffin addressed the International Day of the Families Workshop on Thursday.
The Community Affairs Division of the Department of Social Services, in conjunction with The Bahamas Crisis Centre, hosted the workshop.

The minister said if more families held their relatives accountable the country would see a decrease in the number of social ills it faces.

“The family structure is where children learn principles and morality,” she said. “It is where children learn about rules and regulations so that when they become adults, they will already know that they must follow the rules and regulations and laws of the country within which they reside for us to have a successful society.”

“The family structure is where they learn right from wrong. We have to continue to fight for the family structure in our country and we have got to continue to fight for better fathers, mothers and children. We cannot afford to let the devil and sin take over our families and out country.”
Mrs. Griffin feels as though the high crime level is a reflection of Bahamian parents allowing their children to be raised by society.

The workshop, which was held at the Holy Cross Activity Centre, was designed to as a way to get families connected and aware of their roles in society.

“The family constitutes the basic unit of society and should assume their responsibilities within the community,” she said.

“Therefore, we encourage every family to participate in activities that will get them involved in sharing special times together, develop or renew relationships, identify or rediscover each other’s needs, and remind themselves of the importance of family involvement which leads to raising healthy children who can later become our future leaders.”

The minister added, “Loving and uniting together in communities will help fight violence and combat social ills. When we all stand for positive values together, it will help to bring community togetherness and eventually build a better nation.”

According to the Yamacraw MP, one of the primary purposes of the ministry is to help strengthen families and communities by helping professionals and students to become “well-educated” on family issues.