The UN convention on the Rights of the child, to which Jamaica is signatory, stipulates that “every child deserves the right to a name and identity”. In Jamaica there are approximately 45,000 births each year and over 90% of these births occur in public institutions. However, some 30% of these children are not named at birth.

The Government has realized the challenges that children without names pose to the society and as such, has embarked on a policy to resolve this problem. In August of this year, at the opening of the Portmore Office of the Registrar General’s Department, Health Minister Horace Dalley announced that all children born as of January 1, 2007 and registered with a name will be given one free copy of their birth certificate.

Following Minister Dalley’s announcement the RGD has embarked on an intensive public education campaign to get all parties involved such as the hospitals, mothers, parish officers, the media and private sector.

In May of 2006, the RGD conducted a review of births registered between 2003 to 2004; the review revealed that 18,000 children were not named at birth. In addition to the public campaign, the RGD will be publishing a booklet containing names. This booklet will be distributed to all pre-natal clinics and maternity centres.

• An RGD Registration Officer will be assigned to all hospitals and birth center island wide for seven days each week. He /she will visit Admissions 2-3 times daily to get the names and contact information of mothers.
• After birth occurs and before the mother is discharged, the registration officer will complete registration by including gender, date, name of child and father’s information(if present at the time of registration or if mother is married).
• If the child is born at home, you must visit the local district registrar in the district where the birth occurred to have the birth registered.
• The child must be named within six weeks of birth in order to be issued with a free certificate.
• The free 1^st certificate will be delivered within 3 months of registration.

Children who are not named within the year of birth will have to be named at the Registrar General’s Department through a process known as Late Entry of Name. Late Entry of Name is a costly venture not only to the parents, but to the country. Also the

RGD would like to encourage the fathers who are not married, to accompany the mother to the hospital or to the Local District Registrar. This will avoid having to do a status(Addition of father’s particulars) later.

Birth registration is not an option, and every child has the right to a name and identity at birth. Bringing a new life into the world is always hectic but exciting time in anyone’s life. The RGD continues to support and educate the public on the importance of registration, and encourages mothers to accurately register their child’s birth. 

There is no doubt that naming your child is a major decision. There are a number of unusual and interesting names that are available, but whatever name you select for your newborn, birth registration is not complete if you have not officially named your child. It is a common practice for parents to give pet names and sometimes children are registered at school in these names. However this practice can lead to confusion between the pet name and the child’s registered name.