Major Renovation Work Underway At Maxfield Park Children’s Home

Major renovation work is being undertaken on four dormitories at the Maxfield Park Children’s Home in Kingston, as part of efforts to improve the living conditions of the wards at the facility.

Valued at a cost of approximately $10 million, the work, which is being funded by the National Housing Trust (NHT), forms part of the Trust’s 2015 Labour Day Project, today (May 25).

The scope of work on the four dormitories, which house females include: carpentry and electrical work, updating of fixtures to include kitchen appliances, painting and termite treatment. Landscaping on the premises close to the dormitories, is also being undertaken.

In an interview with JIS News, Board Director, National Housing Trust (NHT), Granville Valentine, said the work is being undertaken in a bid to improve the lives of the wards at the facility and forms part of the Trust’s corporate responsibility.

“One can only better appreciate that the less fortunate in our society are being treated well today and I think it is an excellent move by the NHT. This is what we need to do more in our country to ensure that the less fortunate and most vulnerable are taken care of,” he said.

Mr. Valentine said that sustained maintenance work will be carried out at the facility by the Trust, and that preliminary work on the facility commenced earlier in the month. The overall project is slated to end in approximately three months.

He added that he will be recommending to the Board that the Trust undertakes other improvement works at the facility, which would include the auditorium and the nursery.

Chairman of the Maxfield Park Children’s Home, Lucille Brodber, said the improved facilities will have a “great impact” on the lives of the children.

“When you speak to them on a one-on-one basis, sometimes they wonder if people really care, and I think this is a good indication,” she told JIS News. She added that the upgraded facilities will definitely boost their morale.

Expressing gratitude for the work being undertaken, Chief Executive Officer, Child Development Agency (CDA), Rosalee Gage Grey, said she is “quite pleased.”

Ms. Gage Grey said that the upgrading of the facility will ensure that the wards are housed more comfortably than before.

“Our children need a safe space in which they can call home while they wait for transition back to their homes or if not, they have a place they can grow up to call home and Maxfield Park is a brand that has always provided that atmosphere for children, so this is very critical for us,” she told JIS News.

Several of the wards expressed heartfelt gratitude for the work that is being undertaken and pledged to take care of the facility.

The project is being carried out under the national Labour Day theme:  ‘Labour of Love, Nurturing Our Children’.

Volunteers from the NHT, CDA, as well as children of the facility are assisting with the work.

Situated at 89 Maxfield Avenue, the home is the largest and oldest children’s home in the island. It serves both males and females who have been abandoned or made homeless.

The facility is monitored by the CDA and currently accommodates 86 children, ranging from birth to 18 years.