The CPFSA: Who we are

THE CHILD Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), formed out of a merger of the Child Development Agency and the Office of the Children’s Registry, is a leader in Jamaica’s child protection system, with a combined legacy reputation for our work in promoting childfriendly policies and groundbreaking programmes to strengthen families.

The CPFSA is under the purview of the Ministr y of Education, Youth and Information, and works collaboratively with the Office of the Children’s Advocate, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and other government agencies.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM IN JAMAICA

For many years, Jamaica’s child protection system was uncoordinated, with matters to do with child protection, welfare and development spread across several government entities. The end result was fragmented effort and inadequate impact in addressing the developmental needs of the nation’s children.

State agencies worked in close collaboration with active child-focused NGOs and international agencies to revolutionise Jamaica’s child protection system. The following are key milestones in the development of Jamaica’s child protection system:

• The signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a key international agreement entrenching the survival, protection and , developmental and participatory rights of children. Jamaica signed the CRC in 1991, which became the catalyst for major developments in the country’s child protection system. The CRC sparked major institutional restructuring and consolidation for greater focus on child development issues.

• Developing a national roadmap to guide local policy and legislative alignment with international agreements. The National Policy and Plan of Action for Children were developed in the early 1990s, to nationalise the principles of the CRC and chart the way forward.

• Undertaking institutional development, strengthening and coordination. The then Child Development Agency was established in 2004 out of a merger of three organisations – the Children Services Division, the Child Support Unit and the Adoption Division. The agency has since been a driver in developing and implementing local policies for child protection and development.

• Enacting child protection legislation and policy to activate the principles of international agreements. The Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA) was enacted in 2004 to strengthen protection for children and promote their rights. The CCPA was formulated by the Office of the Children’s Registry and the Office of the Children’s Advocate, two key institutions in the child protection system.

OUR MEMBERS

The agency’s staff members are spread across our corporate office located in Kingston, regional offices and 14 parish offices, as well as child care facilities. Our team of social workers, investigators, intake officers, and others maintain an active schedule in serving children and families, as part of the effort to restore the fabric of the Jamaican family and empower children to achieve their highest potential.

RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARE SERVICES

The agency also provides residential child care services. This includes direct responsibility for the operation and management of eight government children’s homes and places of safety, and the monitoring and licensing of another 40 plus private homes.

SUPPORT UNIT

The Children and Family Support Unit, which has distributed service across parishes, and the Multi-Agency Partnership with agencies such as CISOCA and the Ministry of Justice’s Victim Support Unit, focus together on helping to keep children out of state care, through counselling and other interventions to families and abused victims. The Multi-Agency Partnership also enables child victims to be interviewed and counselled in a caring and sensitive atmosphere.

OUR TEAM

The agency is made up of a cadre of social workers and other child protection specialists who execute the mission and core values of the CPFSA.

Led by a chief executive officer, the agency has divisional directors, regional directors, legal officers, public relations specialists, accountants, secretaries, psychologists, children’s officers, investigators, and others.

The 600-staffed organisation works beyond limits to rescue children who are in need of care and protection.