Task Force To Oversee Rehabilitation Of Maxfield Park Children’s Home

A task force is to be established to oversee rehabilitation of the Maxfield Park Children’s Home as part of plans to transform the facility into a Centre of Excellence for childcare.

Members of the task force would include representatives from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Urban Development Corporation (UDC), National Education Trust (NET) and the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC).

It is intended that the facility will be a template of best practices in childcare management for other facilities.

Education, Youth and Information Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, provided details at the ceremony to break ground for the construction of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) Child Therapeutic Centre on the grounds of the Maxfield Park Children’s Home in Kingston, on Tuesday (July 6).

The Minister pointed out that JSIF will provide consultative support in the concept phase.

Noting that the facility is one of several under the supervision of the CPFSA, she said the intention is to build out the capacity of several select childcare facilities to improve resources and services within the childcare ecosystem.

“We believe that if we have two or three very large facilities with all the amenities required, that will serve the needs of our children better. That is our hope and we will use the task force to help us to visualise and to help us come to the best decision possible,” the Minister added.

Chair of the Maxfield Park Children’s Home, Nadeene Spence, told JIS News she welcomes the initiative, noting that the rehabilitation of the home will improve the environs, consequently impacting the young residents positively.

“Physical development of the space and building an appropriate modern facility for children that takes into consideration their full development needs, physically challenging them to become their best selves and offer residential accommodation that is comfortable, attractive, that stimulates them and is relevant to their age group is necessary,” she said.

Ms. Spence said the facility is currently home to an estimated 80 children, aged zero to 18, as well as young adults with special needs who have been given over to the State for care and protection.

The Maxfield Park Children’s Home has been in operation since 1918. It is one of the private childcare facilities under the supervision of the CPFSA, an executive agency of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

The home operates an early-childhood preschool and a school for children with special needs that provides instruction for wards where services are lacking in the public school system.