Mrs. Golding hands over cheque to Early Stimulation Centre

KINGSTON — The Stimulation Plus Early Childhood Development Centre has received a boost, with the donation of $100,000 by the Early Childhood Development Foundation.

Chairman of the foundation and wife of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Lorna Golding, handed over the cheque on May 23, as she participated in the Labour Day project at the facility.

Mrs. Golding, who is also Patron of the Early Stimulation Programme, said the donation, which is in keeping with the foundation’s thrust to assist early childhood institutions, will go towards re-roofing the centre.

She said that there are plans to provide further assistance. “We definitely (will) see if we can procure some more equipment for this early stimulation centre,” she said, adding that a conducive learning environment plays a vital role in a child’s development.

Director of the Early Stimulation Programme in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Antonica Gunter-Gayle, expressed gratitude for the donation.

She informed that the work to repair the roof will commence by the end of the month, noting that an assessment has been undertaken.

The Stimulation Plus Child Development Centre evolved out of the Labour Ministry's Early Stimulation Programme, which was started in 1975 and provides developmental assessment and early intervention for children from birth to six years, who exhibit some form of developmental delay.

The centre caters to 105 special needs students, living with disabilities such as Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, behavioural problems and mental retardation, among others.

By CHRIS PATTERSON, JIS Reporter