CPFSA to Award Children for Outstanding Academic Achievements

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) will host a celebratory luncheon for 63 youth representing the agency’s Western, Southern, North East and South East regions, for their outstanding academic achievements.

The Awards Ceremony will be held on Thursday, February 8, at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston.

These youngsters are part of the CPFSA’s programmes – Residential Child Care Facilities (RCCFs), Foster Care, Family Reintegration and Supervision Order – and have received four or more passes at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) levels, following the 2023 May/June examinations.

Director of Children and Family Programmes, CPFSA, Dr. Warren Thompson, told JIS News that every year, the agency seeks to highlight the efforts of the children through various initiatives, and the CSEC/CAPE Educational Achievement Ceremony is one such initiative, aimed at recognising their successes.

“As the agency responsible for the care and protection of children, we uphold their right to an education, but we also recognise that investing in our children’s education is not only paramount to changing their outcomes but is also crucial in fostering the development of our society. Therefore, we continue to place emphasis on education and positioning our young people to make bold future steps,” he said.

In 2023, a total of 170 youth from State care sat secondary external examinations, CSEC, CAPE and other vocational exams, such as City and Guilds.

Of this sum, 152 sat CSEC, 19 sat CAPE, and six sat other examinations.

Since 201, the then Child Development Agency (CDA), now (CPFSA), has been hosting this awards ceremony, in keeping with the Ministry of Education and Youth’s thrust to provide quality education for all children, and the agency is committed to ensuring that children in State care reach their highest potential through access to education.