In January the Agency hosted the Study of Children Living/Working on the Streets Consultation Session at Alhambra Inn. The event followed a research commissioned by the CPFSA and funded by Winrock International to better understand the issue of street and working children in Jamaica.

More specifically, the research was aimed at ‘determining the factors which predispose children to be living and working on the streets, and to identify gaps in the provision of care and social protection services that impede an effective response to addressing street children’.

The stakeholder meeting was one of the final processes in completing the study. At the session, preliminary findings were shared with representatives from more than 15 government agencies and NGOs, with dialogue on possible solutions for consideration in developing a framework of action. These discussions will be used to finalise the paper which is being for Cabinet then released to the public.

The issue of children living and working on the streets is of grave concern as the practice is indicative of a lifestyle of significant risk wherein both the safety and healthy development of children are compromised. As a result, the Agency has continuously been monitoring areas where children are known to frequent, and has provided necessary interventions for these children and their families, in collaboration with the police and other stakeholders. We have, however, recognized that to effectively deal with this issue, a multifaceted, multi-agency approach is required.

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The first of five Child Protection Forums scheduled for 2020 was held at the Rose Duncan Park, Linstead on Thursday, March 5. This series of forums which began in MoBay last November is part of a campaign to educate the public about the rights of children, issues affecting them and provide timely child protection tips in an effort to have citizens recognize their role, and play their part in keeping children safe.

Linstead’s event which had a focus on missing children due to the high numbers of missing children reports in St. Catherine North, featured three main speakers. Among them were:Woman Sergeant Medica Morgan Sweeney, Sub-Officer in Charge of Missing Persons who spoke on how to report a missing person and aspects of police investigation. Next, Mr. Warren Thompson, Deputy Registrar, gave tips to parents on how to safeguard children from going missing, while Mr. Robert Williams, Regional Director,South East, spoke on child abuse, how parents can get help and how parents and the community can protect children

The forum was well supported by the community who came into the venue and gathered around to the park. Many persons also visited the booth to speak with the officers from South East who were on hand to take reports and provide advice. The next Child Protection Forum is scheduled for April 23, 2020 in North East.

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The Inaugural Mobile Mental Health Lecture was held on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at the Medallion Hall Hotel. This event was aimed at building the capacity of children’s officers, psychologists and childcare practitioners in screening, assessing and treating children with behavioural issues. Emphasis was additionally placed on evidence-based therapeutic interventions and culturally appropriate solutions to meet the dynamic needs of our children.

Guest speaker, Dr. Megan Swaby, clinical psychologist and lecturer, Mico University College, presented on the session’s focus: Behaviour Intervention Techniques for Conduct & Oppositional Defiant Disorders.

Her presentation focused mainly on the C.A.R.E Behaviour Modification Model which has a Cognitive Behavioural underpinning, but can be used by therapists of different theoretical orientations.

The model purports:

C: Connect before you correct (a principle from Positive Parenting)

A: Affirm- helping the client to understand that his/her worth is different from his/her work.

R: Replace negative thoughts with positive thinking

E: Empathise – do unto others as we would like others to do unto us.

The  session culminated in laboratory and group presentations with officers working in groups to develop the best approaches to various case studies from actual cases.

Photos from Mobile health lecture