PARENTS will not have  to deal with the hassle of last year’s Junior Kadooment when  thousands of children  hit the road to the National Stadium next week Saturday.

That was the word from Aja, National Cultural Foundation’s (NCF)  co-ordinator of the Kiddies Kadooment.
He said the NCF had created a very secure space between the  Lumber Company and the National Stadium wall for the children after the parade, so that collection of the little ones could be smoother than the past.

Aja was speaking to the Press yesterday at the NCF’s West Terrace headquarters just before receiving a sponsorship cheque from title sponsors.

“The holding area this year . . . will be fenced high and highly secure. What that does is  a create a smoother transition for parents to collect their children without getting inside the Stadium to get the kids which creates a problem with passes and so on.

“Besides the security, we have instructed  all the bandleaders to arm-band parents or guardians who would be collecting their children.

“In other words, nobody can come to the gate and say that child is mine  and go and collect a child and leave.
“That parent [or guardian] must be arm banded by the band leader,” he said.

Aja also said the  band leaders were instructed to provide a list of names of parents, or guardians; to the NCF prior to the parade.
Additionally, he said there would also be some security arrangements for those parents watching the show from the stands.

Last year frustrated and panicky parents who had earlier accompanied their children – some as young as three years old – on the road from Pelican Craft Village along Fontabelle to The Oval were forced to stand behind a fence, calling out to several sobbing children after police stopped the adults from entering the judging area.

Another change  to the programme  is the showcasing  of the Kings and  Queens of the bands that will be scheduled before the actual parade
“There is an increase as well with the participation of Kings and Queens; so at 9 a.m. we want every one to be at the Stadium to see the spectacle . . . and then at 10 a.m. we would have the parade of the bands starting from Tyrol Cot and Luther Thorne Memorial School,” said Aja. (TM)