Children in Jamaica have a right to be protected from abuse and harm, and those rights are safeguarded in the Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA), which came into effect in 2004. The legislation promotes the safety and well-being of children across the country. Children’s Officer at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Carolyn Beckford, said that the...

Impacted by COVID-19, and having to deal with being employed only two days per week, Denise Williams Bailey overcame the challenges to become an agricultural entrepreneur. The 35-year-old was trained in accounting and hospitality and worked in some of the major service establishments over the past decade, both in Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Mrs. Williams Bailey is now Head...

When Sasha Hill noticed her three-year-old daughter, Dejanae Gayle’s diminishing vocabulary, her maternal instinct told her there was a problem. She said among the noticeable factors indicating there was an issue was the fact that after birth, she was not hitting her milestones as the “normal” child would. “What was significant was that she started to hit her milestones at...

With the massive spike in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) to interact, maintain family contacts, participate in online school and play games, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, parents and guardians are being encouraged to protect children from online perils. Regional Director for the Western Region with the Child Protection and Family Services...

Bridging the literacy gap among students, beginning from the primary level, has always been a key priority of the Government as it strives to improve the educational outcomes of the nation’s children. Having recognised that parental involvement is crucial to achieving this goal, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, through the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) is rolling out...

The Government is giving a helping hand to athletes who are having challenges due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Mental Health Programme has been launched to help the nation’s athletes to better cope with the challenges they are facing. One of the first activity of the Programme was a recent virtual forum dubbed, ‘Elevate the Game -...

The Private Security Regulation Authority (PSRA), through its Montego Bay regional office, is meeting the needs of operators in western Jamaica while ensuring adherence to professional standards and practices through increased monitoring and regulatory activities. Operations Manager, PSRA, Vivette Webber-McLaughlin, tells JIS News that the regional office provides ease of access for individuals and companies to obtain and renew their...

To spread the message and emphasise the importance of protecting children, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) staged a drive-through in St. Ann recently, making stops in Breadnut Hill, Colgate and Golden Grove. During the drive-through of the communities, representatives from the CPFSA spoke to residents about the importance of child protection and urged them to report suspected...

Director of the Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) Department in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Marlon Mahon, says every organisation should have in place an effective OSH Management System. The OSH Policy, which guides the management system, outlines the key principles and objectives that an organisation has committed to in maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. Such a...