The Child Safety Department, an affiliate of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah, is reinforcing its commitment to raising awareness of child safety practices among families and community members with the launch of a comprehensive year-round campaign titled, ‘Their Safety First’. The campaign will build on CSD’s ongoing efforts to protect children from all forms of harm whether in the school or at home, and in a broad range of situations and environments.

The initial phase of ‘Their Safety First’ campaign will focus on common summertime incidents impacting safety such as drowning, suffocation, and accidental intake of medicines. To heighten awareness amongst the public on these emergency safety concerns, CSD will distribute relevant brochures including ‘Summer Swimming Guide’, ‘Guide for Nannies’, to beachgoers, hospitals, pharmacies, and hotels in the emirate. The awareness campaign will reach a wider target audience through instructional videos on radio and social media platforms.

CSD pointed out that ensuring child safety is an ongoing process, not merely a seasonal concern, and that the campaign opens sustainable communication channels with families and varied community segments to ensure a high level of emotional, psychological, and physical safety and protection for children. CSD further affirmed that the campaign strengthens strategic partnerships with child safety partners including the Social Services Department – Sharjah, Sharjah Police, Sharjah Civil Defence, and the Sharjah Prevention and Safety Authority.
Hanadi Al Yafei, Director, Child Safety Department, said: “The comprehensive child safety campaign launched this year builds on our efforts in raising awareness on all aspects that endanger the safety of children and will serve as a wake-up call for families to be more cautious and follow necessary safety procedures to safeguard and protect their children. We look forward to engaging with families and members of the society throughout the various phases of the campaign and ensure they abide with safety measures all year long.”

She added: “Every year, CSD targets new parents and children with a wide array of programmes and activities, which stems from our keenness to keep open communication with the community to safeguard our children. The quickest path to achieving this is by ensuring that parents are vigilant and aware of appropriate safety protocols that keep children from harm’s way.”

Throughout 2022, the campaign will raise awareness on safety practices and guidelines to follow while in and outside homes, during play, at picnic or camping sites, inside moving vehicles, and in schools.