Child Diversion Branch Committed to Providing a Circle of Care for Children

Director of the Child Diversion Branch (CDB) in the Justice Ministry’s Social Justice Division, Venisa Clarke, says the unit remains committed to providing a circle of care for children through partnerships with other entities.

The CDB is tasked with providing rehabilitative services for children, aged 12 to 17, who come into conflict with the law and diverting them from formal judicial proceedings.

Ms. Clarke told a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ on Monday (April 22) that through collaborations with entities such as the HEART/NSTA Trust, several educational and skills training opportunities are provided to children in the programme.

“It allows children who attain the age of at least 17 to be referred to HEART/NSTA Trust, and they include not only the skills training and the job placement but they also include remedial education; and that is very important because we find that some of the children coming in to us, they [require] that type of intervention,” Ms. Clarke noted.

This partnership with the HEART/NSTA Trust is slated to continue until March 2025.

The CDB Director also highlighted other services offered to the children served by the Branch through its various partners.

“We partner with other entities to provide that circle of care. Some of the entities we partner with include the National Council on Drug Abuse in the Ministry of Health [and Wellness], and they provide the drug treatment intervention. The Women’s Centre Foundation of Jamaica provides sexual and reproductive health education and counselling. We also have private psychologists, social workers and guidance counsellors that we contract to provide the psychotherapy for individual and family homes concessions,” she said.

Ms. Clarke underscored the importance of mentorship in the child diversion process to help steer the programme’s children onto a better path, by providing positive role model examples.

“We have a lot of Jamaicans who have volunteered their time to give a positive influence on these young people… as some of them don’t have that coming from their homes or communities. So, the mentors play a big part in our programme,” she said.

Ms. Clarke added that while the mentorship programme is well-supported, more mentors are needed as the programme grows.

“So often we find young people walking around… some might not leave their communities at all. They don’t know what the outside world looks like, so they don’t have that opportunity to, maybe, speak to someone who owns a business to say, ‘this is what it looks like and it’s possible’. So, the programme is happening… but we do invite more mentors,” the Director further stated.

While no specific skills are required to be a child diversion mentor, interested persons must be upstanding Jamaicans over age 18 years who are of demonstrably good character.

“The skill sets don’t matter because children have different interests. So, you might coach football, for example, and the child that you are assigned to might be interested in sports. We place them according to the needs of the child,” Ms. Clarke explained.

Persons who wish to apply to be mentors may access applications on the Ministry’s website, www.moj.gov.jm, or at any of the 14 parish offices.

More information on the Child Diversion Programme is available on the Ministry’s website, toll-free by calling 888-JUSTICE (888-587-8423), or (876) 906-4923-31.