State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, is warning employers not to engage persons under the age of 18 years to work in their establishments. Section 34 of the Childcare and Protection Act (CCPA) criminalises child labour. Under the Act, a fine not exceeding $500,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding...

Community Based Rehabilitation Jamaica (CBRJ), located in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, has been supporting children with disabilities and their families for more than 40 years. The CBRJ provides a range of services, including developmental and psychological assessments, therapeutic intervention and referral services, which can lead to the cognitive and social development of children and adolescents with disabilities. Project Manager, Sandrea...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., says significant progress has been made in advancing policies and programmes to provide for improvements in access to quality education for children with disabilities. He said such progress includes the establishment of Special Education Units within mainstream schools and the provision of support services and accommodations. Speaking in the House...

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is currently providing early intervention services to some 3,124 children between birth and six (0-6) years, with developmental disabilities. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., made the disclosure in a statement to the House of Representatives on Tuesday (December 5). “We provide our children with speech therapy, physiotherapy, advanced developmental screening and evaluation,...

The Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) has launched the Accessibility Checklist, which is designed to identify architectural and communication barriers encountered by persons with disabilities in private and public facilities. It is a valuable tool to assist in the removal of barriers, as it can be used to survey an entire facility or specific areas and components of...

The issue of accessibility for the disabled will be the focus for Disabilities Awareness Week 2023, which will be observed from December 3 to 8 under the theme ‘Inclusion in Action: Building Accessible Communities’. Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Executive Director of the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), Dr. Christine Hendricks, said that “accessibility for persons...

State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, says the Government is committed to the elimination of child labour in Jamaica. Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, today (November 29), Dr. Dunn pointed out that this commitment by the Administration is on record. The State Minister said that Jamaica is...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr, says labour productivity is key to driving transformative growth and ensuring Jamaica’s sustainable development. Addressing the HEART/NSTA Trust’s Sub-Regional Summit 2023 at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston on Thursday (November 23), the Minister said he believes in a people-centred approach to driving productivity, which “places individuals at the core...

Residents of Lionel Town in Clarendon patiently wait to access government services at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s mobile unit during Thursday’s (November 23) Social Intervention Fair at the Pawsey Park Community Centre.