CPFSA Getting Children In State Care ‘Ready Fi Life’

Children who are preparing to exit State care are to benefit from a sensitisation session being hosted by the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) from July 18 to 21.

The event, which falls under the Transitional Living Programme (TLP), targets children 16 years and older and children’s officers assigned to prepare the youngsters for independent living at age 18.

During an interview with JIS News, Children and Family Programmes Director at the CPFSA, Dr. Warren Thompson, said that the week of activities, under the theme ‘Ready Fi Life’, will be highlighted by the launch of an ‘exit profile’ instrument.

This tool will be used by the children and children’s officers to answer questions about different aspects of life that the youngsters may have to consider as they prepare to leave State care.

On Tuesday (July 18), there will be an Empowerment Workshop for youngsters 18 years and over who are currently in the TIP programme.

The event will focus on areas such as mental health, psychosocial issues and communication.

“We want to equip them with the skills to become more resilient because most of them will be living with minimal support from the State,” he noted.

Regional directors and team leaders, to include parish managers and children’s officers assigned to institutions, will be meeting with managers, administrators and social workers from the private residential childcare facilities and government-operated children’s home on July 19 and 21.

“We are doing this because the process of preparing the youngsters for transition, getting them ‘ready fi life’ begins in the facilities. So, we want the facilities to partner with the CPFSA to start to prepare youngsters as they think about permanency outside of State care,” Dr. Thompson said.

On Thursday, July 20 a Transitional Living Expo will be held at the National Arena in Kingston targeting children age 16 to 18. Various educational institutions including skills training facilities and financial entities will set up booths.

“We want to expose the youngsters to various resources available to them in the process of transitioning,” Dr. Thompson told JIS News.

“The aim is just to get them to start thinking about the transitional experience, learn about the resources that are available to them, learn about the programme so that when they get to 18, they are well informed,” he noted.

TIP provides provisional living arrangements for children in State care to ensure that they can successfully exit care.

Dr. Thompson told JIS News that there are more than 500 youngsters in the programme.

Its core components are housing and education. “Under housing, there are some youngsters who when they exit care, cannot return to family. They can’t remain in foster care placements and in residential childcare facilities, so they need housing support,” Dr. Thompson explained.

In addition, he noted that there are others who may need continued psychosocial support because they may have unresolved trauma or mental health issues and require some support beyond care. In terms of education, youngsters who matriculate to pursue tertiary or vocational studies are supported with tuition, educational resources and a monthly stipend to assist with transportation and food.

For those who exit care and are not pursuing educational options, there is a ‘Transition To Work’ initiative, where they are assisted with apprenticeships as a means of gaining employment until they are weaned from State support.