Taking the pressure off parents as they prepare their children for the new school year is the driving mission behind the Barbados and Friends Network and the local Cuava Foundation.

Both organisations are committed to raising awareness and offering tangible support to families who need it most.

Founder of the Barbados and Friends Mental Health Awareness Association, Kathy Elliott, told a handing-over ceremony at the Christ Church South Constituency Branch of the Barbados Labour Party that the core philosophy driving the initiative is her motto, “Every child should have a backpack.”