Strengthening Families & Communities through Foster Care

The 8th Annual National Foster Care Recognition week will be observed from February 9 to 15, 2014, under the theme, “Strengthening Families and Communities through Foster Care”.

Public Relations and Communications Manager at the CDA, Prudence Barnes informed that the objective of the week is to heighten awareness of the Agency’s national foster care programme and recognize and highlight the positive contributions that foster parents make to national development.

“Foster care is an essential component of the CDA’s Living in Family Environment (LIFE) Programme, geared at placing children in family settings. It provides care for children who for one reason or another, are unable to remain with their biological families,” Miss Barnes said.

She further explained that the National Foster Care Programme enables persons who are not the biological parents of a child to provide a nurturing environment for his/her physical, spiritual and emotional growth and development.

The week-long activities which will be carried out in the various regions across the island, will commence with a National Church Service on Sunday (February 9), at the Mandeville New Testament Church of God, 18 Knowles Road, Mandeville, beginning at 10:30 a.m.  Services will also be held in Kingston at the Bethel Baptist Church; in Portland at the New Testament Assembly and in the Western Region, at venues to be announced.

“Each year, our regional offices also plan appreciation functions and other events to pay tribute to our foster parents for their hard work and commitment to the children in care,” Miss Barnes explained.

Foster parents in CDA’s South East region (Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Thomas, and St. Catherine) will be feted at a luncheon on Wednesday (February 12) while those in the North East Region (St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland) will be recognized ahead of the week of activities on February 6, 2014.

The activities continue with several training workshops aimed at enhancing the skills of parents in the South East Region and in the Western Region (St. James, Hanover, Trelawny and Westmoreland). The Western Region will also use the occasion of National Foster Care Recognition Week to re-launch its Foster Parents Association.

In addition, promotional walks will take place in St. Mary and Portland on Wednesday February 4 and on Tuesday, February 11 respectively to encourage members of the public to get involved in CDA’s foster care programmes.  The full calendar of National Foster Care Recognition Week events will be circulated via the media.

 

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Contact:    CDA PR Unit

Jeneva Gordon/Prudence Barnes

Tel:            967-1614

Email:       gordonj@cda.gov.jm

Twitter:     @cda.jm

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/child-development-Agency

Website:   www.cda.gov.jm