Parents Encouraged to Take Advantage of Brain Builder Centres

Parents are being encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunities that exist in the Brain Builder Centres across the country.

Director of Regulations and Monitoring at the Early Childhood Commission (ECC), Dr. Tracy-Ann Morgan-Smith, told a recent JIS Think Tank, that the centres are fully equipped for early stimulation of children from the age of zero to three.

“So, what is it that they get? They get a qualified teacher, caregiver, they get a cook, they get janitor, they get all the supplies. All the furnishing for these Brain Builder Centres, and that is just absolutely marvellous, and it also means there are no fees attached,” Dr. Morgain said.

The Brain Builder Programme is a major pillar in the development of children through the ECC.

“Within our Brain Builder Centres there are three facility types where the public, private or public-private institutions can apply for a Brain Builder Centre, and it means that even if it is a private institution, you will not be paying a fee for your child, and so this is a big thing,” Dr. Morgan said.

She also explained that for parents who need additional support, the ECC developed an application that outlines some of the activities that form the Early Stimulation Programme.

“We also have our First 1,000 Days app, which is given to the populace for persons who need those services. We also do a lot in terms of our communication department in… pushing out these early development tips, which are on our social media platforms,” Dr. Morgan said.

“The First 1,000 Days, this initiative for the Brain Builders Centre, is for children three months old to three years old. It is an initiative with the Ministry of Education and the Government of Jamaica, in which we are saying, if it is that we can start our children right at a very early age and transition them, then it means we get better outcomes,” Dr. Morgan Smith said.

She believes that if Jamaica continues on this trajectory, soon our early-childhood development and education sector will mirror the best in the world.

“If we can really build this out, we will start looking like the Scandinavians and the Norwegians, in which we really start our children out at this early age and transition them for quality,” Dr. Morgan Smith said.

The Early Childhood Commission (ECC) was established by the Early Childhood Commission Act (2003), in keeping with the strategic goal of the Government of Jamaica to improve the quality of early-childhood care, education and development within the early childhood sector.

Persons can contact the ECC to get a list to locate the Brain Builder Centre in their community by calling the following numbers: (876) 922-6938, (876) 948-9405, and (876) 967-7611.