Her Excellency Dr. Bushra Al Mulla, Executive Director of the Community Development Sector at the Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi, stressed that the UAE gives great importance to providing an appropriate environment for childcare, growth and protection, since children are the nucleus of society and a vital pillar towards ensuring a bright and prosperous future.
This came as part of the World Children's Day, which falls on 20 November each year. Al Mulla stressed that Abu Dhabi’s social sector puts in place many initiatives and policies that serve children, the youth and families in general, by achieving its vision of providing a decent life and creating a healthy environment that helps build a cohesive society, starting with children, families and all social segments, in order to provide a decent standard of living in the emirate. She noted that since its establishment, DCD has been keen on preparing quality of life surveys that measure various factors and challenges that affect children and families, which helps its team develop appropriate solutions to problems or obstacles that may hinder happiness, safety and proper upbringing of children within their families.
Dr. Al Mulla added: “As a regulator of the social sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, we are working to achieve the ambitions and vision of our wise leadership by developing policies that enhance the society's awareness of childcare and protection. We recently worked on developing a system for adopting children deprived of parental care, in order to integrate them into society and empower them in a safe and stable home environment that ensures the realization of their ambitions and meets their basic needs. We also formed a committee to protect families and children, with 13 members from different stakeholder entities, with the aim of reviewing the family and child protection system in general.”
Al Mulla commended the decision issued by the Abu Dhabi government to establish the Abu Dhabi Center for Sheltering and Humanitarian Care – Ewaa, with the aim of providing a safe shelter, health and psychological care for victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and all forms of violence, by setting up an appropriate mechanism whether within Ewaa or after their departure, in addition to its decision to establish the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority which aims to support children through many policies and regulations.
Al Mulla emphasized the importance of parents being fully aware of their children by supporting them, meeting their needs, and being a role model for them since they are the foundation of creating an informed and secure generation that can play a vital role in the society’s development.