Transitional Living Programme Preparing Youth in State Care for Success

Were it not for Orlando McIntosh’s grandmother being proactive in seeking help for him through the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), he might not have been able to turn his life around from that of a troubled teen to become a respected high-school teacher.

Growing up in St. Catherine, Orlando was unruly, often getting into fights and skipping school.

His disruptive behaviour was too much for his grandmother to handle, who was also responsible for raising his siblings, and she sought the intervention of the CPFSA (then the Child Development Agency).

This led to Orlando becoming a ward of the State, while be continued to reside with his grandmother.                           

“This was the best thing that could have happened to me,” the now 21-year-old tells JIS News in a recent interview.                                   

Orlando attended counselling sessions, which helped him to deal with his behavioural issues, and by the time he entered grade 10 at the Enid Bennett High School, he was more disciplined and focused on his academic and career goals.

 “Although I did not know exactly what career choice I was going to make, I knew that I needed to excel in life so that I could help my siblings,” he tells JIS News.           

In grade 11, he sat and passed six Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects – Mathematics, English, Biology, Agricultural Science and Literature. 

After completing his secondary education, the CPFSA, through its Transitional Living Programme for Children in State Care (TLP-CSC) project, continued to supervise and support Orlando’s development. 

He was awarded a full scholarship to study at The Mico University College, where he pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics. Orlando presently teaches at his alma mater, Enid Bennett High.

Described as an exit-readiness project, the TLP-CSC, was implemented in August 2014, through the collaborative efforts of the CPFSA, University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, the Caribbean Child Development Centre and in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which provided the funding for the initial implementation.

The aim of the project is to facilitate a smooth transition to independent living for children who have reached 18 years and are leaving State care.

Coordinator for the TLP-CSC in the CPFSA’s Southern and South East Regions, Jacqueline Anderson Robinson, tells JIS News that youth exiting State care are given financial, psychological and emotional support or whatever assistance that is required for them to transition successfully and seamlessly into adult life.

“Our role as an agency is to ensure that these individuals are stable and are able to function in society,” she says.                   

Components of the TLP include housing assistance for those who may not have a safe place to go after exiting State care; vocational skills training, which includes internship and entrepreneurship; life skills coaching and mentoring.           

Another beneficiary of the programme, Kerona Bryan, says the experience was “life-changing”.

Kerona became a ward of the State at age eight but soon after she was placed in foster care. She eventually returned to her parents but remained under the care of the CPFSA.