Jamaicans Urged to Adopt or Foster Children in State Care

Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sport, Olivia Grange, has called on Jamaicans to adopt or foster children, who are in children’s homes.
She was speaking at the official launch of Child Month 2008 at the Institute of Jamaica on East Street in Kingston on April 8.
“There is nothing basically wrong with the children’s homes but we [government] believe that the best place for our children is with a caring, loving family,” the Minister stated.
She added that if more Jamaicans become more willing to take personal responsibility to help a child or young person in need, the ripple effect will be positive, thereby making Jamaica a better place.
Supporting the Minister’s appeal was Chief Executive Officer of the Child Development Agency (CDA), Alison Anderson, who said it is the mission of the agency to “adopt a family-first approach” to finding solutions for wards of the state.
“We never get tired of reminding everyone about our Living in Family Environment programmes, where 56 per cent of our children in care, which is almost one third, reside with loving families,” she stated, while adding that this is a major accomplishment for the agency.
The Living in Family Environment programmes, she expounded, are intended to help fragile families ensure better futures for their children as well as to provide nurturing families for children, who have never been exposed to that type of environment.
“This year, we hope to reach a target of 65 per cent of our children in care being with loving families. Ultimately, we propose to have every child living with a family,” she informed.
Chairman of the National Child Month Committee (NCMC), Dr. Pauline Mullings, in her remarks, said she is the proud mother of two adopted children.
“I stand here today and I am proud and declare anywhere I go I have adopted two children. I am having great pleasure from mothering these two wonderful girls,” she said at the launch. She also encouraged persons to look within their communities for children in need of help.