Youth Minister of State Supports Call by CDA Head
By: April 29, 2016 ,The Key Point:
The Facts
- Addressing a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on April 28, the Minister of State said that regulations are already in place to manage the involvement of the private sector, thus preventing anyone from just “popping up” at a facility to be a volunteer.
- She pointed out that during Child Month (May), they would be launching a campaign to increase the cadre of volunteers to help in the facilities islandwide.
The Full Story
Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, is supporting the call by head of the Child Development Agency (CDA), Rosalee Gage-Grey, for greater corporate involvement in development projects being undertaken by the agency.
Mr. Green said the call is significant, as the support from corporate Jamaica would impact a very important area of the Jamaican society.
Addressing a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on April 27, the Minister of State said that regulations are already in place to manage the involvement of the private sector, thus preventing anyone from just “popping up” at a facility to be a volunteer.
Mr. Green said children are the primary focus and they must be protected. He praised the CDA and private home administrators for the work they have done, especially in terms of self regulation.
“We do need more private support, but we’re always protective of how we deal with children and so we always say to them, there is always a balance that must be struck. It cannot be a free for all when we’re dealing with our children. That is one thing we will never allow,” the Minister stated.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Gage-Grey, who also addressed the ‘Think Tank’, said that CDA facilities are primarily run through voluntarism.
She pointed out that during Child Month (May), they would be launching a campaign to increase the cadre of volunteers to help in the facilities islandwide.
“The idea is to have persons apply and be registered and certified as volunteers, so they can go into children’s homes. It could be a doctor, a psychologist or a counsellor. We want to develop that kind of support [base] so our children can benefit. We know there’s a strong spirit of voluntarism in Jamaica and we want to capitalize on that,” she said.