Significant work being undertaken on the promotion of child rights in CARICOM.

2. FOREWORD
CARIBBEAN CHILD RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Jamaica Conference Centre
Kingston, Jamaica
October 20–21, 2010
The Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), in collaboration
with the United Nations Children‘s Fund (UNICEF), the Environmental Foundation of
Jamaica (EFJ), the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), the Early Childhood
Commission (ECC), the Office of the Children‘s Advocate (OCA), the Caribbean Child
Development Centre (CCDC), UWI, the Office of the Children‘s Registry (OCR), the
Jamaica Coalition on the Rights of the Child (JCRC), the Child Development Agency
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(CDA) and the Ministry of Education (MoE) is pleased to host the 5 Caribbean Child
Research Conference. To have successfully partnered to host the conference for five
years is a milestone which augers well for the promotion of child rights in the Caribbean
region.
The annual Caribbean Child Research Conference, which is held in Jamaica in October,
is a regional event, covering a range of child-related themes. The main objectives of
each annual conference are to:
1 Promote a culture of research among students in the high schools in the
Caribbean by facilitating the presentation by students of their research and
awarding a prize to an outstanding child researcher;
2 Promote a culture of research among teachers at the secondary and
primary educational levels in Jamaica;
3 Recognize the work of child researchers in child-related research;
4 Disseminate findings on child-related research;
5 Strengthen the networking links among researchers of child-related matters;
and
6 Inform the policy formulation and implementation process in the Caribbean
Region, through the published research findings.
Adult researchers also present in their relevant fields on children‘s issues in the
conference. This conference is not simply about children - it facilitates the meaningful
participation of children. There have been three important levels at which children
participate: (1) attendance at the conference; (2) presentation by children on the
children‘s panels; and (3) selection of an outstanding child researcher. At the conference,
research completed by children is presented during the children‘s panels. For the first
time this year, the children at the primary level were involved in an essay competition on
child rights.
The theme for this year‘s conference is “Five years before 2015: The MDGs and Child
Rights in the Caribbean.” The conference aims to examine the progress made towards
the fulfilment of the MDGs and the adherence to child rights in the Caribbean region. It is
our ethical duty to protect and provide for our children. This annual conference is our way
of ensuring that child rights remain on the policy agenda in the Caribbean. Through the
participation of our children at the conference, we are adhering to Articles, 13, 14 and 15
of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

3. MESSAGE FROM THE PARTNERS
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Jamaica
Achieving the MDGs without Leaving the Most
Vulnerable Behind
Ten years ago, the United Nations Millennium Declaration
challenged nations, rich and poor alike, to come together
around a set of ambitious goals intended to help build a
more peaceful, prosperous and just world. As the time set
for achieving these eight Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) fast approaches, and countries across the globe
turn more attention to what it will take to accomplish these
targets, UNICEF has put renewed energy into an approach that it believes will accelerate
progress: concentrating on the most vulnerable.
Reaching the most deprived and vulnerable children has always been UNICEF‘s central
mission. But recently it has become an even more pivotal focus of our work, as emerging
data and analysis increasingly confirm that deprivations of children‘s rights are
disproportionately concentrated among the poorest and most marginalized populations
within countries.
Efforts to reach the MDGs have galvanized unprecedented national and international
efforts and reaped impressive gains, among them a significant reduction in the global
under-five mortality rate. Yet, many of these gains are largely based on improvements in
national averages. Concern has been mounting that progress based on national
averaging can conceal broad and even widening disparities in poverty and children‘s
development among regions and within countries.
Recognizing that efforts to reach the most vulnerable often take more time and cost more
money, UNICEF set out to study the question: Would the benefits of concentrating on
children and their families in the most deprived areas outweigh the greater costs it incurs
to reach these populations? The conclusions strongly indicate that major inroads are
possible to reach the poorest and most vulnerable by refocusing our energies and
investment on alleviating the barriers that exclude them.
This equity-focused approach to achieving the MDGs takes on great significance in the
Latin America and Caribbean, a region where the disparities are among the widest and
most glaring in the world – and they are growing. In Jamaica, as UNICEF crafts a new
country programme of cooperation for 2012-2017, the organization and our partners will
be looking critically at how we can do more to ensure services, policies and programmes
are having the impact in the places where it is most needed.
In 2015, when we are held to account for our commitments, we should all be firm in our
conviction that our efforts to reach the MDGs were the most strategic they could be.
UNICEF invites you to join us on this challenge. We invite you to help us ensure that we
do not leave the most vulnerable children behind.
Robert Fuderich
Representative and Officer-In-Charge
UNICEF Jamaica

4. The Environmental Foundation of Jamaica
The Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ) is
pleased to again be a partner and major sponsor for this
year‘s Caribbean Child Research Conference. This
conference does a splendid job of raising the awareness
on critical Child Sector Issues and showcasing Jamaica‘s
young people at the same time.
The Theme for this year's conference is "Five Years
before 2015: The Millennium Development Goals and
Child Rights in the Caribbean". The Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) are global targets towards the eradication of poverty.
Coincidentally, our Foundation recently embarked upon an exercise of identifying how
our work (over 1200 grants totalling over J$1.8billion) has contributed to the MDGs.
Of the Eight (8) MDGs, the Foundation has made major contributions to Jamaica‘s ability
to meet six (6) of them. In particular with relation to children, the EFJ is proud of our work
specifically towards the following MDGs:
 Goal 2 (towards universal primary education) through projects aimed at
improving literacy and numeracy and teaching and counseling skills for a range
of Jamaican children from those in the early childhood category, those with
Special Physical or Mental Needs and the newest area of focus - Children in
Challenging Circumstances such as Inner City Communities.
 Goal 4 (reducing child mortality) through work in the removal of asbestos and
lead in communities, studies and research on Nutritional Education, prevention of
disability through Sensitization, Early Detection and Intervention
 Goal 8 (global partnership towards development). This work culminated with an
ever-increasing record of 148% leveraged funds in 2009-10.
We look forward to hearing more about the report card of our partners, and the nation.
We congratulate SALISES and our fellow colleagues on the planning committee for all
the work in hosting this conference. To the Child Researchers, we look forward to your
presentations and wish you luck in the competition.
With kind regards,
Karen McDonald Gayle, Acting CEO
The Environmental Foundation of Jamaica

5. MESSAGE FROM THE CONFERENCE CHAIR
It is my profound pleasure to welcome all participants to
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the 5 Caribbean Child Research Conference. This
conference is testimony to the great partnership that the
conference has enjoyed through the years. The
partnership has gone a long way in promoting child rights
through research. What is remarkable is that the research
has not only been completed by adult researchers but
also by children. The conference provides an opportune
moment for children to write and speak about child rights.
This year, we included the primary school children at the
conference. They participated in a primary school essay
competition. The top three winners will be honoured at the
conference. Through this initiative, we are increasing our promotion of child rights and
ensuring that children at an early age learn about child rights and participate in any
discussion of child rights.
The conference also promotes this culture of research by ensuring that teachers from
both the secondary and primary schools are trained in child rights at annual workshops.
They in turn train the children in their care and also improve their own adherence to child
rights. We are reminded by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that we
must act in ―the best interest of the child‖, at all times. Adequate provision and protection
must be available to all children irrespective of age, gender and residence. This is what
we have promised them, from 1989, in the international Convention on the Rights of the
Child, and we must keep our promise.
Enjoy the conference, and we look forward to seeing you at next year‘s conference when
we examine the theme ―Five Years before 2015: The MDGs and Our Children.‖
Aldrie Henry-Lee, PhD
Conference Chair

6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Kimberley Wilson
Dacia Leslie
Tricia Jack
Floyd Williams
Richard Leach
Sophia Whyte-Givans
Aldrie Henry-Lee, PhD
Conference Chair

7. PROFILES OF THE PARTNERS
and regulatory frameworks in the region, developed by
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
CARICOM‘s Early Childhood Development Working Group.
Jamaica
Telephone: (876) 926-7584 -5
Fax: (876) 929-8084
UNICEF first established an office in Email: kingston@unicef.org
Jamaica in 1977. The current five-year
Website: www.unicef.org/jamaica/
programme of cooperation (2007-2011)
with the Government of Jamaica has
five major programme components, four of which are Jamaica-
specific and one sub-regional:
The Environmental Foundation of Jamaica
Advocacy, Public Policy and Partnerships
This programme aims to support the Government‘s
commitment to the fulfilment of child rights, poverty reduction
and participation and transparency. It will help to further In 1991, the Environmental Foundation of
generate knowledge on children‘s rights, promote data use and Jamaica (EFJ) was established out of two
participation in planning, advocate for commensurate allocation bilateral debt reduction agreements
of resources, build critical partnerships in support of children‘s between the Governments of Jamaica and
rights, promote children‘s participation at national and the United States of America. The two
community levels, and strengthen national monitoring systems funds created reduced USAID and PL480
on children‘s rights. debt by $311 million. The interest on the remaining $95 million
is projected to provide the Fund with a total of $21.5 million
Children and HIV/AIDS over a 19-year period to 2012. Operations of the EFJ began in
Complementing financial support from the Global Fund and the May 1993.
World Bank, the Children and HIV/AIDS programme supports
the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan Mission Statement of the Environmental Foundation of
2007-2012, including targeted, data-driven prevention, Jamaica (EFJ):
treatment, care and support interventions with vulnerable
groups of children and adolescents, and the establishment of a The mission of the EFJ is to serve the public good by
comprehensive HIV/AIDS monitoring system under the promoting and implementing activities designed to conserve
management of one national coordinating authority. and manage the natural resources and environment of
Jamaica in the interest of sustainable development and to
Child Protection improve child survival and child development.
The Child Protection programme supports the implementation
of the National Plan of Action for an Integrated Response to The EFJ is a major player in the Environment and Child
Children and Violence and the National Plan of Action on Child sectors through:
Justice. The programme will foster an environment that
protects children from violence, abuse and exploitation,  strategic grant making;
promotes diversion programmes and community/family based  building sound partnerships and collaboration with
rehabilitation and reintegration of children in conflict with the other donors and grantees;
law, and provides home/family based care for children without  capacity building of NGOs/CBOs and communities;
familial care.  affecting national policy through research and lessons
learned in the field;
Quality Education and Early Childhood Development  public education and awareness;
This programme seeks to improve both children‘s readiness for  supporting mechanisms towards sustainable
primary education and learning outcomes in selected curricular livelihoods; among other activities.
areas in primary education, such as child rights and life skills-
based education. Special attention will be paid to the The EFJ implements a very competitive grant making
development of gender-sensitive, interactive and child-centred programme through an advertised ‗Call for Proposals‘ on an
teaching and learning methodologies. The programme will also annual basis. Grants are made available only to NGOs/CBOs,
aim at improving the quality of and accessibility to health faith-based organizations and educational institutions.
services for young children and their mothers. Throughout the years, the EFJ has disbursed over J$2B in
grants to over 1,100 projects. These projects are focused in
Sub-Regional Early Childhood Development a range of themes that within the Child Sector include:
This programme aims to improve outcomes for children in early
childhood through support to effective programming in country  early childhood intervention – training of professionals
offices and to the harmonization and coordination of sub- in the field; enrichment programmes; early stimulation
regional initiatives led by the CARICOM and partners. The programmes & training; early detection of special
programme is designed to advance a ten-point action plan for needs;
support to advocacy, monitoring and evaluation, knowledge  children in challenging circumstances;
 children with disabilities and special needs.
generation, parenting and the development of policy, standards

8. The EFJ oversees an average of 200 projects at any one time 6. provide a physical and social environment conducive to
in both rural and urban areas. The EFJ is governed by a good staff and student relations.
Board of Directors made up largely of NGOs, representatives
of the two governments, UWI and a Child Survival Director.
The Institute has published an extensive list of monographs
The EFJ has a membership of 40 NGOs and is staffed by a
Secretariat of 14. and books over the years. In addition, three journals are
produced by the Institute: Social and Economic Studies
The EFJ is committed to being a leading player in the Child & (Mona); Caribbean Dialogue (St. Augustine), and the Journal
Environment sectors and a strong voice in national of Eastern Caribbean Studies (Cave Hill).
development in these areas. Through strategic grant making
(social philanthropy), strengthening civil society organizations, The Institute hosts a series of seminars, special lectures and
applied research, lessons learned in the field, education and
an annual conference. Information can be obtained from:
awareness, the EFJ intends to achieve these goals.
Telephone: (876) 960-6744 / 960-8799 CAVE HILL
Fax: (876) 920-8799 Telephone: (246) 417-4476/8
Email: salises@uwichill.edu.bb
Website: http://www.uwichill.edu.bb/salises
Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and
Economic Studies (SALISES) MONA
Telephone: (876) 927-1020 / 927-1234
Email: iser@uwimona.edu.jm
The Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social Website: http://salises.uwimona.edu.jm:1104/
and Economic Studies was
ST. AUGUSTINE
established in August 1999 as a result
Telephone: (868) 662-2002 Extn. 2038
of a merger of the Institute of Social
Email: salises@fss.uwi.tt
and Economic Research (ISER),
Website: http://www.uwi.tt/socsci/ises/
established in 1948, and the Consortium Graduate School of
Social Sciences (CGSSS), established in 1985. It has been
named after Sir Arthur Lewis, Nobel Laureate in Economics
and the first Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Caribbean Child Development Centre
Indies.
SALISES has branches on the three campuses of the
The Caribbean Child Development Centre
University of the West Indies: Cave Hill, Barbados; Mona,
(CCDC) is a unit of the Consortium for Social
Jamaica; and St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Each branch
Development and Research, of the University of
is headed by a director. One of the directors is appointed as
the West Indies Open Campus. Established as a
University Director, responsible for the overall functioning of
regional centre for research and training in early
SALISES. The current University Director is based at the St.
childhood education and care in the seventies,
Augustine Campus.
the focus of activities of the centre has varied
through its existence. Presently, there is a strong focus on
The Institute‘s mandate is to conduct training and research of a
research related to a range of children‘s issues, including
regional, multidisciplinary and policy-oriented nature to serve
teaching a new course on Child Rights Education targeting
the needs of small developing countries like those in the
professionals, technical assistance for the early childhood
Caribbean. It has been designated as one of the principal
development sector across the Caribbean, and networking and
units at the core of the university‘s School of Graduate Studies
information sharing within the region and internationally.
and Research.
The Centre assists in the Master of Education in Leadership in
The vision of SALISES is to:
Early Childhood Development, and also contributes to the
teaching and tutoring of several undergraduate courses in
1. be an internationally renowned institution for
Nursing, Psychology, Human Nutrition and Medicine. We also
development policy analysis;
facilitate ongoing and occasional student exchange
2. be a location for theoretical and philosophical reflection
programmes.
on development studies;
3. provide a highly challenging and rewarding intellectual
The CCDC has provided governments in the region with
environment for graduate students and researchers
technical assistance to support early childhood development
interested in development policy analysis;
(ECD) through various projects. The most recent has been the
4. provide policy advice to governments and other
Child Focus III project (2005-2007) which supported ECD
institutions through contract and graduate student
capacity building in a number of Caribbean Development Bank
research;
member states by undertaking work in curriculum
5. engage in high-quality research which is published in
development, ECD costing, financing and sustainability, and
leading regional and international journals and
the implementation of policies and regulatory systems for
monographs; and
improving the quality of ECD services.

9. Our networking and information sharing work has increased in a position to achieve its full potential and consequently
the last few years. With the support of UNESCO, we have developed country status by 2030.
continued to host child-related teleconferences/electronic fora
The provision of socio-economic data is at the heart of PIOJ‘s
to share research findings and other developments with
mandate. This is achieved in part by publications such as:
partners across the Caribbean. We also maintain two websites
and a number of databases providing information on academic  Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (Annual)
papers, reports and other materials, institutions and  Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions (Annual)
organizations related to child matters across the Caribbean,  Economic Update and Outlook (Quarterly)
and are continuing to develop these with the assistance of a
number of partners and funding agencies including the OAS Mission Statement of the PIOJ: The Planning Institute of
Inter-American Children‘s Institute, the Dudley Grant Memorial Jamaica is committed to leading the process of policy
formulation on economic and social issues and external
Trust, the Institute of Education, UWI, and UNICEF, Jamaica.
cooperation management to achieve sustainable development
for the people of Jamaica.
We are active members of the Childwatch International
Research Network, the Consultative Group (CG) on Early Telephone: (876) 960-9339, 906-4463/4
Childhood Education, and the Child Rights University Network, Fax: (876) 906-5011
and most recently the International Early Child Development E-mail: info@pioj.gov.jm
Committee. Website: http://www.pioj.gov.jm
Further information on CCDC activities, publications and
databases can be found on our website.
Office of the Children’s Advocate
Telephone: (876) 927-1618
Fax: (876) 977-7433
Email: ccdc@uwimona.edu.jm The Office of the Children Advocate
Website: http://uwi.edu/opencampus/ccdc/default.aspx (OCA), a commission of Parliament,
was established under the Child
Care and Protection Act (CCPA) in
Planning Institute of Jamaica 2004 for the purpose of protecting
and enforcing the rights of children in Jamaica. The first
Children‘s Advocate was appointed in January 2006 and
assumed her position in February 2006. The mandate of the
The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) was OCA is the protection and enforcement of the rights of children.
established in 1955 as the Central Planning Unit The vision of the OCA is to see children in Jamaica enjoy the
(CPU) with the mandate to provide the protection of their rights and consideration of their best
Government with credible data and research to
interests at all times. The mission is to promote the safety,
effectively plan for the country‘s development.
The CPU became the National Planning Agency best interests and well being of children and to promote,
in 1972. The functions, however, remained the protect and enforce their rights. The mandate as stipulated by
same. In 1984, under the provisions of the Planning Institute of the first schedule of the CCPA 2004 is as follows:
Jamaica Act, the Agency became a statutory body and its
name was changed to the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). 1. Keep under review the adequacy and effectiveness of
The Institute, headed by a Director General, currently falls
law and practice relating to the rights and best
under the portfolio of the Office of the Prime Minister.
interests of children.
As the foremost economic and social planning agency of the
government, the PIOJ‘s functions include: 2. Keep under review the adequacy and effectiveness of
service provided for children by the relevant
 initiating and coordinating the development of policies, authorities.
plans and programmes for the economic, financial,
social, cultural and physical development of Jamaica;
3. Give advice and make recommendations to
 undertaking research on national development issues;
Parliament or any Minister or relevant authority, on
 providing technical and research support to the Cabinet;
 undertaking consultant activities for local and foreign matters concerning the rights or best interests of
government entities; children. This may be upon the request made by
 managing external cooperation agreements and Parliament or other relevant authorities or, as the
programmes; Children‘s Advocate considers appropriate.
 collaborating with external funding agencies in the
identification and implementation of development 4. Take reasonable steps to ensure that children are
projects; and aware of the functions and location of the office of the
 maintaining a national socio-economic library.
Children‘s Advocate. Also ensure that children are
The PIOJ has spearheaded Vision 2030 Jamaica, National made aware of the ways in which they may
Development Plan a long–term plan, which will put Jamaica in communicate with the Children‘s Advocate.

10. 5. Take reasonable steps to ensure that the views of Adoption Board, and the Child Support Unit, to provide
children and persons having custody, control or care enhanced service delivery to children and their families.
of children are sought concerning the exercise by the
Children‘s Advocate of her functions. Vision
The Child Development Agency will be an innovative and
6. The Children‘s Advocate may provide assistance results-driven organisation, with competent and confident staff
(including financial assistance) to a child in making a delivering services that meet the individual needs of clients.
complaint to or against a relevant authority.
Mission
7. The Children‘s Advocate may conduct an To achieve the holistic development of children through the
investigation into a complaint made by a child, his/her creation, implementation, coordination, and regulation of
parent, guardian, or any other individual who has the programmes and policies, which meet Jamaica‘s obligations to
child‘s best interests in mind. international standards for children.
8. The Children‘s Advocate may in any court or tribunal The Child Development Agency:
bring proceedings, other than criminal proceedings,
involving law or practice concerning the rights and  provides quality care for children in the guardianship of
best interests of children. the State;
 promotes the best interests of children;
9. The Children‘s Advocate may intervene in any  aims to maintain children in families;
proceedings before a court or tribunal, involving law  advocates the protection of children from abuse; and
or practice concerning the rights and best interests of  advises on policy and legal issues relating to children.
children.
The CDA monitors the adoption of international child care
10. The Children‘s Advocate may in any court or tribunal conventions locally and assists in developing and promoting
act as a ‗friend of the court‘ in any proceedings Jamaica‘s position on children‘s issues internationally.
involving law or practice concerning the rights and
best interests of children Telephone: (876) 948-6678/948-2841-2
Fax: (876) 924-9401
To date, the OCA has made many strides in carrying out its
mandate. The Office has represented children in courts and Email: info@cda.gov.jm
tribunals; visited children‘s facilities to ensure compliance with Website: www.cda.gov.jm
the law; given policy and legal advice; submitted position
papers to the Senate; forwarded an annual report to
parliament; undertaken public education campaigns to inform
Early Childhood Commission
children of their rights and how to protect themselves.
These activities have been done in partnership with various
The Early Childhood Commission is an
institutions at all levels. The OCA is committed to protecting
agency of the Ministry of Education and
and enforcing the rights of all children in the Jamaican society.
Youth, established by the Early Childhood
Commission Act of 2003. Born out of the
Telephone: (876) 948-3771/1293
need for a long-term vision and plan for a
Fax: (876) 922-6785
comprehensive delivery of early childhood programmes and
Email: childrensadvovate_ja@yahoo.com
services, the Commission was established as the agency with
overall responsibility for early childhood development (ECD) in
Jamaica. Using an integrated approach, the Commission
Child Development Agency brings under one umbrella all the policies and standards
pertaining to early childhood development. It also maximizes
the use of limited resources by ensuring a more cohesive
The Child Development Agency delivery of services.
(CDA) is the Executive Agency of
the Ministry of Health and The Commission‘s legislated functions are to:
Environment which has
responsibility for providing a stable  advise the Cabinet, through the Minister of Education and
and nurturing living environment for children who are in need of Youth, on policy matters relating to Assist in preparation of
care and protection. plans and programmes concerning ECD;
 monitor and evaluate implementation of plans and
Established on June 1, 2004, the CDA subsumed the programmes for ECD and make recommendations to the
responsibilities of the Children‘s Services Division, the Government;

11.  act as a coordinating agency to streamline ECD activities; reports, the Children‘s Registry records, assesses and then
 convene consultations with relevant stakeholders as refers the reports to the Child Development Agency (CDA) and
appropriate; the Office of the Children‘s Advocate (OCA) for their
investigation and action.
 analyse the resource needs of the sector and make
recommendations for budgetary allocations; The Children‘s Registry also serves as a repository where
 identify alternative financing through negotiation with donor statistics on incidents of child abuse in Jamaica may be found
agencies and liaise with them to ensure efficient use of the and used to inform operational and child friendly policies and
funds provided; guidelines. In addition, through regular monitoring of the
trends, the Registrar will be able to indicate which types of
 regulate early childhood institutions; and
services are needed and where they are needed.
 conduct research on ECD
Since its inception, the Registry has been playing an integral
Since the start of its operations in 2004, the Commission has role in capturing incidences of child abuse. In 2008, the
been working assiduously to achieve its mission of ―an Registry received over 4000 reports of child abuse, a
integrated and coordinated delivery of quality early childhood significant increase compared to the over 400 reports received
in 2007. Between January and August 2009, over 4000 reports
programmes and services, which provide equity and access for
were received. By providing a single, centralized point to which
children zero to eight years within healthy, safe and nurturing reports should be made, the Children‘s Registry facilitates the
environments.‖ The Commission is aware that the future of following:
Jamaica rests on the investment made in ECD today and
embodied within its existence is the potential to make dramatic  improved confidentiality and a reduced risk of
changes to the future of our country. information leakage
 quicker response times to children in need of care
Vision: All children having access to high quality early and protection
childhood development services enabling the  increased reporting of child abuse and maltreatment
realization of their full potential.  a centralized source of information and statistics on
child abuse and related issues
Mission: An integrated and co-ordinated delivery of quality
early childhood programmes and services, which Contact Information
provide equity and access for children zero to eight
years within healthy, safe and nurturing Individuals who wish to make a report to the Children‘s
environments. Registry may call the following numbers:
Telephone: (876) 922-9296-7 Toll Free: 1-888- PROTECT (776-8328) Tel: 908-2132
Fax: (876) 922-9295 Cell: 822-7031 (LIME) 878-2882 (DigiCel)
E-mail: earlychildcom@cwjamaica.com Fax: 908-2579 Email: ocrjamaica@yahoo.com
Website: www.ecc.gov.jm
For other matters, the Children‘s Registry may be reached at:
Tel: 908-1690 Fax: 908-0246
Office of the Children’s Registry Email: ocrjamaica@yahoo.com
Individuals may also catch up with us on Facebook (username
The Office of the Children‘s Registry is a Children‘s Registry) or follow us at Twitter (username OCRJA)
statutory body under the Ministry of
Health, which was established on January
1, 2007 as a provision of the Child Care Jamaica Coalition on the Rights of the Child
and Protection Act 2004 (CCPA).
The Jamaica Coalition on the Rights of the
Mission
The Office of the Children‘s Registry provides a confidential Child (JCRC) was founded in 1991 as a
central system to receive, record, assess and refer reports for lobby group for promoting the UN
investigation and maintains a register of child abuse reports. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Its
members are non-government
Vision organizations (NGOs) that are concerned
The Office of the Children‘s Registry will be the premier with the rights of the child in Jamaica. Over the years the
organization to receive reports of known or suspected child
abuse, as it will create an atmosphere of confidence for the JCRC has conducted several programmes focusing on issues
Jamaican people. It will also act as a catalyst for the such as:
establishment of other Children‘s Registries in the Caribbean.
 the quality of parenting
Functions  safety and protection of children
The main role of the Children‘s Registry is to receive reports of  lobbying for improved governance regarding children‘s
children who have been, are being or are likely to be issues
abandoned, neglected, physically or sexually ill-treated, or are  working with teachers for rights-focused school
otherwise in need of care and protection. After receiving these
environment

12.  encouraging children to accept that rights and
responsibility go hand in hand Ministry of Education
 providing public education and building public awareness
of child rights
The Ministry of Education (MoE) is the central
Despite these efforts, large numbers of Jamaican children are body with responsibility for education issues in
still at risk. The JCRC sees this as a challenge to renew its Jamaica.
efforts and find more innovative ways to influence
improvements in aspects that constitute violation of child rights. The Ministry exists to carry out the
Government‘s mandate of ensuring a system
GOALS 2008—2012 which secures quality education and training
for all persons in Jamaica in order to optimize individual and
 Initiate a community development approach to build national development. As such, the Ministry of Education is the
communities that exemplify child participation and work driving force for change, growth and achievement in education,
fully for the development and social integration of the providing legislation, policies, strategies, plans and resources
child. to enable institutions, agencies and other bodies to achieve
 Expand our partnership and involvement in campaigning their agreed output.
for improvements in implementation of programmes for
Vision
children.
A customer-centred, performance-oriented education system
 Implement public education and public awareness integral to the development of productive, globally competitive,
programmes in promoting a more child-friendly society. socially conscious Jamaican citizens.
 Work with specific target audiences to draw attention to
children with special needs. Mission
 Involve children in programmes that enhance personal To provide strategic leadership and policy direction for quality
development and social responsibility. education for all Jamaicans to maximize their potential,
 Assist the development of duty bearers and professionals contribute to national development and compete effectively in
who have responsibility for the care, development and the global economy.
protection of children.
 Promote more active collaboration between the coalition The Ministry‘s mission and vision will be achieved through the
members. implementation of activities consistent with its eight (8)
strategic priorities listed below:
 Develop and consolidate networking with other civil
society organizations. Strategic Priorities
The Millennium Development Goals i. Improving process and systems to enhance efficiency
and service delivery throughout the system
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight goals to
be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world‘s challenges. ii. Enhancing education outcomes
The MDGs are drawn from the actions and targets contained in
iii. Building the leadership capacity at all levels of the
the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations system
and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the
UN Millennium Summit in September 2000.
iv. Creating an environment which fosters positive social
interactions
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
v. Improving facilities and infrastructure
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health vi. Strengthening and expanding partnerships
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability vii. Strengthening the policy, legislative and regulatory
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development framework
The JCRC is dedicated to promoting the rights of the child viii. Reshaping the ethos/culture of the sector and
through public education, advocacy and child rights awareness enhancing the corporate image
programmes. .
Head Office Caenwood Complex
Telephone: (876) 977-7924 Phone: (876) 922-1400 -10 Phone: (876) 922- 9370 -9
Fax: (876) 927-1098 Web: www.moey.gov.jm
E-mail: jamist2006@yahoo.com; jcrcrights@yahoo.com

13. SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES – DAY ONE
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
8:00 - 9:00 am REGISTRATION
9:00 - 9:45 Greetings
Chairperson: Brian Meeks, Director, SALISES
 Robert Fuderich, Representative and Officer-In-Charge, UNICEF Jamaica
 Gordon Shirley, Principal, Mona Campus
 Chantel Smith, Outstanding Child Researcher 2009
 Carlton Levy, Vice Chairman, Environmental Foundation of Jamaica Board
 Mark Figueroa, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences
 Honourable Andrew Holness, Minister of Education, Jamaica
9:45 - 10:15 Keynote Address: The International Context: UNICEF
Speaker: Bernt Aasen, Regional Director, Panama
10:15 - 10:45 COFFEE BREAK
10:45 - 12:00 Plenary Session: MDGs and Child Rights: the Way Forward for the Caribbean
Chairperson: Mary Clarke, Office of the Children‘s Advocate
 UNICEF
 UNDP
 UNESCO
 PAHO
 CARICOM
12:00 - 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 - 2:30 Session 1: Achieving the MDG-Related Education Goal (1)
Chairperson: Winston Forrest, Ministry of Education
 Child Rights Education: Lessons from a Pilot Study – Heather Gallimore, Marva
Campbell and Julie Meeks Gardner
 Evaluation of the Health and Family Life Education in Jamaica – Jimmy Tindigarukayo
 Exploring the Factors that Influence the Decision of Parents to become Involved in the
Education of their Children – Grace-Camille Munroe
 Evaluation of the Early Childhood Health and Family Life Education (HFLE): Pilot
Curriculum – Doreen Faulkner
 “Children Get Your Culture” – Jamaican Children and their Museum Experiences:
Informal Education and the Development of Individualism – Rebecca Tortello
1:00 - 2:30 Session 2: Children in Violent Circumstances (1)
Chairperson: Elizabeth Ward, Violence Prevention Alliance
 Participation in the YMCA Programme: Predicted Youth Aggression –
Julie Meeks Gardner, Joan Thomas, Nancy Guerra, Kirk Williams and Ian Walker
 Resistance Education Against Drugs (READ): A Pilot Study. Promoting Anti-Drug
Messages to Vulnerable Minors living in Jamaica’s Inner Cities – Ellen Campbell Grizzle
 Re-Integrating At-Risk Youth: An Evaluation of the Services of Western Society for the
Upliftment of Children (WSUC) under a Two and a Half Year UNICEF- Supported
Project (2007-2009) – Jennifer Jones and Audrey Brown
 Evaluation of a Hospital-Based Violence Prevention Programme for Children –
Jennifer Jones and Audrey Brown

14. 1:00 – 2:30 Session 3: HIV/AIDS, Sexual Behaviour and Our Children
Chairperson: Representative, PIOJ
 Children Infected and Affected by HIV: School Experiences and Stigma and
Discrimination – Joan Thomas, Amika Wright and Julie Meeks Gardner
 HIV Prevention Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among Jamaican Adolescents –
Althea Bailey and S. Hall
 Living what they Learn while Learning Sex from TV: Music Video Consumption and
Risky Sexual Attitudes and Behaviours of Jamaican Adolescents – Marcia Forbes
 Knowledge, Attitude, Beliefs and Practices of Teenagers, Ages 16-19 in Four (4)
Schools in Kingston and St. Andrew Regarding Transactional Sex and HIV/STI Risk –
Malene Townsend
2:30 - 3:00 COFFEE BREAK
3:00 - 4:30 Session 4: Children in Need of Care and Protection
Chairperson: Trevesa DaSilva Ashman, Office of the Children‘s Registry
 A Study of the Foster Care Programme in Jamaica – Mary Clarke
 Child Rights: The Voiceless Children with Disabilities – Annicia Gayle-Geddes
 Social Investment in Children; The Case of Street Children in Jamaica –
Nathalee Ferguson
 Social Investment in Jamaican Children with Disabilities: An Investigation into State and
Non-State Expenditure – Jhana Harris
 Public Perception of Adoptive Parents and their Children – Sandra Notice-Thomas
3:00 - 4:30 Session 5: Global Issues Affecting our Children
Chairperson: Kenneth Russell, UNICEF
 Literature, Media and Child Rights: Challenges and Opportunities in the Caribbean –
Kellie Magnus
 A Situational Analysis of Child Rights in Jamaica: Legislation – Joy Moncrieffe, Heather
Gallimore, Marva Campbell, Julie Meeks Gardner
 Towards Modernizing Residential Care in the Caribbean: Lessons from Trinidad and
Tobago – Mitchele Sogren
 Thinking beyond Numbers: Issues and Option for the Achievement of MDG2 with Equity
and Quality in Guyana – Suleiman Braimoh
 Youth and Social Theory in the Caribbean – Clement Branche
3:00 – 4:30 Session 6: Poverty and Quality of Life of Our Children
Chairperson: Dwayne Cargill, Office of the Children‘s Advocate
 Using a Model of Reasoned Action to Support the MDGs in Haiti after the Earthquake –
Jean Ives Plaisir
 Trinidad and Tobago’s National plan of Action for Children (2006-2010) – Aileen Bruce
 The Well-Being of Children in Trinidad and Tobago – Augustine Obeleagu Agu and Joy
Brathwaite
 Aldolescents’ Voices from Inner-City of Kingston – Priya Anaokar
 Child Rights in Jamaica since Independence – Aldrie Henry-Lee

15. SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES – DAY TWO
Thursday, October 21, 2010
8:00 - 9:00 am REGISTRATION
9:00 - 10:30 Children’s Panel (1)
Chairperson: Paula Ann Porter-Jones, RJR FM
10:30 - 11:00 COFFEE BREAK
11:00 - 12:30 Children’s Panel (2)
Chairperson: Dervan Malcolm, Power 106 FM
12:30 - 1:30 LUNCH
1:30 - 2:00 Outstanding Child Researcher Awards to Primary and Secondary School Children
Chairpersons: Danielle and Tsahai (Outstanding Child Researchers 2007 and 2008)
 Launch of book (Volume 2: Conference Papers)
 Presentations of Books to Schools
2:00 - 3:30 Session 7: Achieving the MDG-Related Education Goal (2)
Chairperson: Mrs. Yvonne Eubanks, Ministry of Education
 The Challenge of Attaining Gender Equality and Equity in Secondary Educational
Attainment in Guyana – Suleiman Braimoh
 Children’s Art as a Medium of Re-imagining the Possibilities of Violent Community
Spaces: Case Study of Primary School Artwork in Downtown Kingston, Jamaica –
Grace-Ann Cornwall
 Early Childhood Education in Jamaica since Independence – Heather Ricketts
 Children’s Voices in the School Inspection Process in Jamaica – Elaine Foster Allen
and Carol Watson-Williams
2:00 - 3:30 Session 8: Early Childhood Development
Chairperson: Mr. W. Fong, Early Childhood Commission
 Sustaining the Future Well being of Our Children: An Empirical Analysis of
Breastfeeding Practices in Trinidad and Tobago – Godfrey St. Bernard
 Educating and Caring for Children in the Early Years: Issues Emerging from the
Integration of Early Childhood Services under the Education Ministry – Jennifer Jones,
Audrey Brown and Janet Brown
 The Speech of 3-Year Old Jamaican Children and its Implications for Education –
Michelle Stewart
 Early Childhood Care and education in the Caribbean Community – Sian Williams
2:00 - 3:30 Session 2: Children in Violent Circumstances (2)
Chairperson: Julie Meeks Gardner, Caribbean Child Development Centre
 Children, Crime and Trauma in Trinidad and Tobago – Patrice Searles & Maxine Hunte
 The Jamaican Adolescent’s Perspective on Violence and its Effects – Althea Bailey
 Exposure to Community Violence and Aggression: Evidence from a Sample of
Jamaican Children – Corin Bailey and Charlene Coore-Desai
 Perceptions of, Attitudes to and Opinions on Child Sexual Abuse in the Eastern
Caribbean – Adele Jones & Ena Trotman
 De Kidz in Jamaica: Evaluation of a Community Organization Serving Children and
Adolescents – Leslie Yaffa
3:30 - 4:00 Closing Ceremony
Chairperson: Carla Francis Edie, Children Development Agency

25. ABSTRACTS
by
SESSION

26. SESSION 1
TITLE: Child Rights Education: Lessons from a Pilot Study
AUTHORS: Heather Gallimore, Marva Campbell, Julie Meeks Gardner
INSTITUTION: Caribbean Child Development Centre
Consortium for Social Research and Development
University of the West Indies, Open Campus
Child Rights is a widely shared concept in Jamaica, but details of the provisions and requirements are less well
known. The Caribbean Child Development Centre designed and piloted a 40 hour Child Rights Education course
targeting professionals working with children. Consultations were undertaken to understand the perceived needs of
stakeholders for such training. Four focus groups comprised: social workers (n=8), Children‘s Officers (n=10), a
general group (n=10: teachers, university lecturers, representatives of governmental and NGO organizations), and
young people 13-19 years (n=10). Participants emphasised linking rights with children‘s responsibilities. They noted:
legislative and human resource gaps in the child justice system; the need to monitor child rights implementation,
respect diversity, create child friendly spaces, develop organizational support for child rights education, and for
training for better communication with children, especially showing respect, respecting children‘s privacy and
nurturing and motivating children. These recommendations are instructive to all persons working with children.
TITLE: Evaluation of the Health and Family Life Education in Jamaica
AUTHORS: Jimmy Kazaara Tindigarukayo
INSTITUTION: (SALISES)
The main objective of this study was to evaluate the progress and the impact of the Health and Family Life Education
(HFLE) curricula in Jamaican schools, paying attention to : (i) the impact of life skill teaching on the knowledge,
attitudes, behaviors and practices of adolescents exposed to the curriculum; (ii) the quality and effectiveness of
teacher training and performance in the delivery of the life skills methodology in teaching the program; (iii) the extent
to which HFLE has been incorporated into the school's academic structure; and (iv) acceptability of HFLE among
students, teachers and parents.
Four methods of data collection were utilized in this study: secondary data analysis; surveys of students,
teachers and principals: focus group discussions with teachers and students from HFLE schools; and elite interviews
with teachers, principals, and parents identified by the MOE.
The findings of the study were four-fold: (i) students from HFLE schools reported more positive attitudes and
norms, greater knowledge and fewer risk behaviors than students from their matched Non-HFLE schools; (ii)
teachers and principals from HFLE schools were more prepared and more comfortable than Non-HFLE schools in
teaching topics relating to the HFLE program; (iii) the HFLE program has benefited female more than male students;
(iv) the HFLE program in Jamaica has had two challenges: (i) some HFLE schools were not implementing the
program effectively; and (ii) materials from the MOE to implement the HFLE program were insufficient and their
supply to schools far-in-between.
TITLE: Exploring the factors that influence the decision of parents to become involved in the
education of their children
AUTHORS: Grace-Camille Munroe
INSTITUTION:
The experience of parental involvement in education in Jamaica was explored with a focus on identifying the
factors that motivated parents to become involved in the education of their children. A theoretical construct of parental
involvement in education developed by Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler‘s (2005) was used to guide the research
process.
The research suggests that the current state of parental involvement in education in Jamaica was not a
direct consequence of a ―lack of parental interest‖; but an outcome of factors mitigating effective and sustained
parental involvement. Parents from across the school levels want to become involved in the education of their
children. However, their involvement was limited by factors emerging from their home situations and the institutional
reality at the school. These factors were also linked to a broader sociological context where poverty and social class
defined the nature and quality of the involvement across the school levels.
The regression analysis indicated that knowledge and skill, time and energy, specific teacher invitation and
parental role were predictors of total involvement. This implies that to increase the incidence of parental involvement,
the school must facilitate an enabling environment that promotes engaging and meaningful parental involvement and
take a leadership role to facilitate the empowerment of parents. This can be achieved by establishing: (a) a shared
vision and common goal for parental involvement;(b) a home-school partnership framework that builds the capacity of

27. schools and parents, especially fathers; and (c) a ―complimentary learning framework‖ that supports families, quality
student development and learning outcomes.
The study had a number of limitations; nonetheless, some of findings were interesting because they were
counter-intuitive. Therefore, the study was heuristic in nature and served as a basis for further investigation. The
recommended areas are: (i) the source of efficacy development and its influence on perceived sense of parent
efficacy and behaviour across school levels; (ii) the belief and practice of parental involvement by teachers across
school levels and its influence on the choice of parental involvement behaviours; and (iii) and the role of fathers in the
education of their children.
TITLE: Evaluation of the Early Childhood Health & Family Life Education (HFLE): Pilot Curriculum
AUTHORS: Doreen M. Faulkner
INSTITUTION:
The Ministry of Education, Jamaica prepared a Health and Family Life Education - Early Childhood (HFLE-
EC) curriculum using four themes from the CARICOM Regional Framework, namely: a) Eating and Fitness, b) Self
Awareness and Interpersonal Relationships, c) Sex and Sexuality, d) Managing the Environment. Teachers in a
selection of Early Childhood Institutions used the curriculum during 2006 – 2007.
An evaluation study indicated that the curriculum provides opportunities to engage students in meaningful
conversations about topical issues that could have long term impact on them, their parents and the wider community:
―….at this age it will stick with kids and they‘ll accept it more easily.‖ However, some teachers reported feeling
unskilled to explain areas such as sexuality, and HIV/AIDS; provide counseling, or correct community practices that
allow inappropriate exposure to pornography.
More resources and expert advice are needed, in the areas of movement education, inexpensive learning
activities, age-appropriate assessment activities and integration with the core Early Childhood Curriculum.
TITLE: ―Children Get your Culture‖ – Jamaican Children and their Museum Experiences: Informal
Education and the Development of Individualism
AUTHORS: Rebecca Tortello
INSTITUTION: Ministry of Education/Institute of Jamaica
Articles 13 and 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child encourage governments to facilitate freedom of
expression through encounters with cultural life and the arts. These articles specifically recognize the right of children
to have access to recreational activities that engender cultural awareness activity and participation.
Five years before 2015, how far has Jamaica come in recognizing and supporting the power of informal education in
the nation‘s museums? How often are museums used as family spaces for interactive, experiential learning?
The title of this paper is inspired by the lyrics to the 1973 Bob Marley song, ―Natty Dreadlocks‖ (Island Records):
“Children get your culture and don’t stand there and gesture.” The word ‗get‘ is critical, meaning the need for young
Jamaicans to both:
(i) be proactive and seize their culture
(ii) achieve a better understanding of individual and national connections to their culture.
Marley‘s message still rings true in Jamaica today speaking to a need that is arguably even greater given the rise of
globalization and increase in movement of people, ideas and images; the global ‗flows‘ so well described by Arjun
Appadurai in his 1995 book Culture and Modernity.
Museum education programming has existed in Jamaica for over a century and the island now has close to thirty
different museums. Yet although many of them have specific education programs, the role of museums as
educational institutions in Jamaica has not received the attention it has been accorded in developed countries. The
small number of visitor studies conducted in these countries stand as a case in point. The rationale behind this
research conducted between 2001-2002 therefore included: (i) to consider whether the open, child-centred trend in
museum exhibition development witnessed in many countries post 1960 is occurring in Jamaica, (ii) how museums
interact with schools and (iii) what results these interactions have.
Using international museum best practices and data from interviews with urban and rural Jamaican students from
different socio-economic backgrounds, this paper bases its discussion on the role of culture in education policy and
practice on a cross-section of children‘s museum experiences. The discussion is primarily based on the reactions of
schoolchildren (a significant Jamaican museum-going audience) to their museum experiences, and it is specifically
guided by a theoretical examination of the roles museums, as informal education institutions, play as educators,
culture brokers, citizenship awareness and community makers.
By considering the role of museums in Jamaica's education policy and practice, this paper expands critical literature
on museum education. It both adds a developing country‘s perspective, and explores how museums stimulate

28. individualism and creativity. It therefore addresses issues related to the resilience of culture and pedagogical skills
related to the rise of intellectual capital.
The paper concludes that museums, as they exist in Jamaica and, by extension, in other developing countries,
whether geared at child audiences or not, can provide unique opportunities for the growth of progressive education
and the stimulation of critical thinking, creativity, and the appreciation of self and others – tenets of global citizenship.
These opportunities will only be realized, however, if those responsible for education policy and those who manage
its transfer into practice, rather than seeing museums as old, dead structures and administering them as such,
recognize their importance to a young audience that seems eager to accept their relevance.
SESSION 2
TITLE: Participation in the YMCA programme predicted youth aggression
1 1 2 2 3
AUTHORS: Julie Meeks Gardner , Joan Thomas , Nancy G. Guerra , Kirk R. Williams , & Ian Walker
1
INSTITUTION: Caribbean Child Development Centre, The University of the West
2 3
Indies, Open Campus University of California at Riverside The World Bank
Few programmes implemented in Jamaica to reduce youth aggression have had their benefits evaluated. The
effectiveness of the Kingston YMCA programme in reducing aggression among programme participants was
evaluated. Two groups of youth participated in the assessment. They were: i) 128 males enrolled in the Youth
Development Programme and 55 males on the waiting list as comparisons, ii) 56 male graduates of the Youth
Development Programme and 60 community youth as comparisons. All youth were interviewed face-to-face about
their attitudes and behaviours using the Jamaica Youth Survey, a 165-item questionnaire which was designed for this
study. For the enrolled males, participation in the programme reduced their aggressive behaviour after controlling for
their aggressive propensity. For the graduates, participation in the programme reduced both their aggressive
behaviour and aggressive propensity. The Kingston YMCA programme had positive benefits on youth aggression
both short-term and long-term.
TITLE: Resistance Education Against Drugs (READ): A Pilot Study.
Promoting anti-drug messages to vulnerable minors living in Jamaica‘s inner cities
AUTHORS: Ellen Campbell Grizzle
INSTITUTION: National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA)
Drug abuse among minors poses a direct threat to Jamaica‘s achievement of the Millennium Development Goals
related to educational attainment, violence reduction and healthcare. Studies show that the age of first drug use
among Jamaican youth is decreasing. Susceptibility to drug abuse is determined largely by knowledge, skills, beliefs
and attitudes within socio-cultural contexts. Children who live in violence prone communities are more vulnerable to
trauma and drug abuse. Objective: To describe an intervention designed to delay drug use among vulnerable
Jamaican minors, aged 5-7 years old. Method: The 2009 READ initiative was piloted among 186 children from
twenty ―inner city‖ communities. Participants were engaged in interactive knowledge enhancement sessions and life
skills training built on an ongoing Prevention Education programme in schools. Results: In the short-term, the
information provided was retained and effectively reinforced. However, this type of effect requires large scale testing
and long-term measurements to be definitive.
TITLE: Re-integrating at-risk youth: an evaluation of the services of Western Society for the
Upliftment of Children (WSUC) under a two and a half year UNICEF supported
AUTHORS: Jennifer Jones, Audrey H. Brown
INSTITUTION:
WSUC, a NGO in St James catering to 110 out-of-school children, was evaluated for UNICEF supported components
for efficiency and efficacy, using qualitative and quantitative methods.
Results
The typical WSUC student is a slow learner, male, aged 14-16, from a poor and often violence prone
community. 71% enter functionally illiterate. After 12 months 68% of students have moved up one grade in literacy
and 54% one grade in numeracy. 82% of students >15 years are exposed to two skill training areas.
Out of 31 students leaving WSUC in 2009, 20 (65%) left to re-enter mainstream school, work or continuing education.
Parents and students emphasised the importance of the caring nature of the teaching and compared it to negative
experiences in mainstream schools.
Conclusion
WSUC scored highly in terms of efficacy, but inadequate governance made the organization inefficient.

29. Recommendations
Rebrand and re-launch with a major fund-raising drive to sustain this important intervention in keeping with
the UNCRC.
TITLE: Evaluation of a Hospital Based Violence Prevention Programme for Children
AUTHORS: Jennifer Jones, Audrey H. Brown
INSTITUTION:
CAMP Bustamante (CB) a hospital-based violence prevention programme of the Ministry of Health, Jamaica (2004-
2008) and a demonstration of its commitment to the UNCRC and MDG # 4, was assessed, using a mixed method
approach, for efficiency and efficacy in the:
1. Development and implementation of a hospital-based model to identify and refer victims of violence
2. Improvement of parenting skills and conflict resolution
3. Development and implementation of an intervention model within the child‘s environment through existing
community based programmes
Results
The A&E department of Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC) referred 1,284 suspected child victims of physical,
sexual abuse, or gunshot wounds to CB. 836 follow-up visits were recorded and children referred to other agencies,
summer camps or Saturday activities and parents recruited into parenting forums.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The substantial added benefits of CB to the child and parents and to society outweigh the additional costs of this
important intervention. CB should continue and be introduced in other public hospitals.
SESSION 3
TITLE: Children Infected and Affected by HIV: School Experiences and Stigma and Discrimination
AUTHORS: Joan Thomas, Amika Wright, Julie Meeks Gardner
INSTITUTION: Caribbean Child Development Centre, The University of the West Indies, Open Campus
Few data exist regarding Caribbean children affected by HIV. We report on school experiences and HIV-related
stigma and discrimination in St. Lucia. Children (12-17 years: 2 HIV+ and 8 affected by HIV) and 10 age- and
gender-matched classmates were asked about HIV-related stigma/discrimination and school experiences. School
achievement was assessed with WRAT III. Caregivers (n=20), principals (n=7) and teachers (n=10) were also
interviewed: caregivers about stigma/discrimination, their children‘s behaviours and school experiences, and
principals and teachers about stigma/discrimination and HIV policies and programmes. Infected/affected children and
their classmates reported similar school attendance; liking school, classmates and teachers; school achievement and
behavior (child and parent reports). More classmates blamed/ judged HIV+ people for their illness. Some
infected/affected children reported stigmatization/ discrimination. Most principals and teachers reported knowledge of
national HIV policies and HIV education programmes, but no school-specific HIV policies. This information should be
considered in further policies and actions.
TITLE: HIV Prevention Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among Jamaican adolescents
AUTHORS: Althea Bailey and S. Hall
INSTITUTION: Department of Community Health & Psychiatry, University of the West Indies Mona
Background
Factors such as early initiation of sex and engaging in transactional sex (Figueroa, 2008) places adolescents among
the high risk groups for infection with HIV/STI in Jamaica The Convention on the Rights of the Child speaks to the
dissemination of information aimed at the promotion of children‘s ―spiritual and moral well-being and physical and
mental health‖. It is important to find out what adolescents know, believe and practice in relation to HIV/STI
transmission in order to provide an effective response and achieve the Millennium developmental goal of halting and
reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Aim
To evaluate the knowledge, attitude and behaviours of Jamaican adolescents who have received HIV/STI prevention
information and services within a 12 month period.
Research Question
What are the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of Jamaican adolescents in relation to HIV/STI prevention?
Methodology

30. A total of five hundred and forty three (543) randomly selected adolescents ages 10-19 across Jamaica were
interviewed during May -June 2008 using a questionnaire comprising items from established adolescent surveys. The
data collected was analyzed using the statistical package for social scientists (SPSS) version 12.0.
Main Findings
99.5% of males and 98.9% of female adolescents had received information on HIV/AIDS in the last 12 months.
Almost 90% of both sexes rejected myths about the transmission of HIV through mosquito bites or sharing food. In
addition 71.8% of males and 73.1% of females knew where to get a confidential HIV test.
The average age of sexual debut was 14 for males and 16 for females. Only 52.4% listed abstinence as a means of
prevention from HIV infection with 54% of males and 77.5% of females reported never having sex. Among the
sexually active adolescents 60.9% of males and 81.4% of females had used a condom the last time they had sex.
Conclusion
HIV/AIDS prevention messages appear to be reaching all in school adolescents throughout the country. There is
however a significant gap in the practice of safer sex behaviours.
Recommendations
The outcomes suggest that more focus is needed to help adolescents adopt risk reduction behaviours especially
where Jamaican culture does not support such behaviour.
TITLE: Living what they Learn while Learning Sex from TV: Music video consumption and risky
sexual attitudes and behaviours of Jamaican adolescents
AUTHORS: Marcia Forbes
INSTITUTION:
INTRODUCTION
As the deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals draws near, it is no secret that the fight to
reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean continues to pose serious challenges. This is especially so for
Jamaica where socio-economic conditions render female adolescents especially vulnerable, given their compromised
agency in negotiating safe sex practices such as condom use by male partners. Coupled with this are the powerful
messages disseminated by music videos, a key product of youth culture which frequently promotes gender
inequalities by portraying females as ‗sex toys‘ for powerful males, encouraging young girls to ‗let off‘ by giving men
the ‗wickedest slam‘ (good sex). For males, pressure is placed on them to prove their manhood by profiling their
sexual prowess via the display of ‗nuff gal‘.
Adolescents, given their well documented love of music, are especially attracted to music videos. Against
the backdrop of poverty and unacceptable levels of teenage pregnancies, the extent to which Jamaican adolescents,
both girls and boys, are not just consuming but actively learning from music videos is of more than academic interest.
The primary purpose of the research project was to better understand the nature of the relationships between
adolescents and music videos. What sort of sex education do they believe they are getting from these videos? Are
girls and boys learning the same things? If not, what differences are there and does age play any role? Do music
video messages put them adolescents at risk of HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases?
METHODS
In November to December 2005 a survey was conducted of 450 randomly selected adolescents from 21
largely randomly selected schools (representative of the different types of schools in the island) and across 5
purposively selected parishes (urban and rural). Participants were asked to respond to a series of questions
pertaining to sexual behaviours they learnt from music videos. Later in the questionnaire they were probed as to
sexual practices such as whether they had ever had sex, number of partners and condom use. Demographic details
such as family structure was collected. The data were analyzed using SPSS.
FINDINGS
Findings demonstrated the extent to which Jamaican adolescents reported that they are learning inappropriate and
potentially harmful sexual practices from music videos. Direct correlations between consumption levels and certain
sexual behaviours, attitudes and opinions were also revealed. Family structures relating to the heaviest consumers
of music videos as well as those who reported learning most from these videos were identified. These findings
provide a platform for proactive measures to educate young people about the real motivations behind music videos
and how to more sensitively read media messages. They can also assist the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica
and other such commissions across the Caribbean region to make a strong case to protect the rights of children
under Articles 3, 4 and 5 of the Conventions on the Rights of the Child.
RECOMMENDATIONS

31. 1. Media Literacy Programme in all schools—preliminary efforts in progress by the Broadcasting Commission
of Jamaica.
2. Wide dissemination of the research findings—This will be done via a book which targets youths, parents and
policy makers, Music, Media & Adolescent Sexuality in Jamaica which is now (May) with publisher and due
out this October.
3. Media literacy campaign via the electronic media, including new media. Funding to be sourced.
4. Continued dialogue with media managers to monitor music video lyrics and images and to schedule in
appropriate time bands based on Children‘s Code for TV Programming.
TITLE: Knowledge, Attitude, Beliefs and Practices of Teenagers' ages 16- 19 in four (4) Schools in
Kingston and St. Andrew Regarding Transactional Sex and HIV/STI risk.
AUTHORS: Malene Townsend
INSTITUTION:
High rates of HIV among adolescent females compared to males are attributed to transactional sex with older men to
supply needs (Figueroa et al, 2008). This is one of the high risk behaviours that drive the HIV epidemic, among
teenagers.
Aim
To determine whether teenagers‘ ages 16-19 knowledge of HIV/STI risk influence their attitude, practices and beliefs
about transactional sex.
Research Question
Does teenagers‘ knowledge of HIV/STI risk influence their attitude, practices and beliefs about transactional sex?
Methodology
A descriptive cross- sectional study using quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted between February and
April, 2010 among 296 students from four (4) schools in Kingston and St. Andrew. Data was analysed using SPSS
version 15.0 to establish respondents‘ knowledge, attitude, beliefs and practices.
Main Findings
Approximately 25% of the sample engaged in transactional sex. Knowledge of HIV/STI transmission was significantly
associated with risk (p= 0.005). Respondents with high knowledge practiced transactional sex at comparatively lower
risk than respondents with average and low knowledge.
Recommendations
Since transactional sex is being practiced by a significant proportion of adolescents, sex education in schools should
directly address the issue in relation to HIV/STI risk and prevention.
SESSION 4
TITLE: A study of the Foster care Programme in Jamaica.
AUTHORS: Mary Clarke
INSTITUTION: Office of the Children‘s Advocate
Main Aims and Methodology
The Office of the Children‘s Advocated commissioned a study in 2009 with a view to promote the foster care
programme as a viable option to institutionalization for children. It sought to assess the treatment of children in foster
care and the adherence to child rights in the foster care system.
Data was collected using both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. Five focus group
discussions were held in 5 parishes with foster parents and 488 questionnaires were administered to 236 parents,
236 children and 16 graduates.
Key Findings and Recommendations
Majority (98.6 per cent) of the children liked their current foster parent and would live with them permanently.
Almost half (47.5 per cent) of the children said they were doing good or very good in school and approximately 30 per
cent had problems which include fighting and quarreling with peers and teacher, extortion and being unable to
manage school work. Most (90.5 per cent) them attended school everyday.

32. Among the recommendations are the need for more support for these children especially in areas relating to
financial assistance, education, clothing grants, and health care, more drugs especially for chronic illness, and more
fun activities; and the expansion of the Programme with accompanying minimum standards.
TITLE: The Voiceless Children with Disabilities
AUTHORS: Annicia Gayle-Geddes
INSTITUTION:
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and Jamaica‘s Child Care and Protection Act outline
standards to entrench the right to development for children with disabilities. Qualitative research conducted in 2004
and 2005 shows that children with disabilities remain on the margins of the child rights agenda. This paper exhumes
the voices of adolescents with disabilities who represent an estimated fifteen percent of their age cohort. Their
qualitative experiences of living with disabilities in the context of child rights provisions are examined. The
marginalized attitudinal context of what disability represents to society and for the adolescents themselves is
underscored. The implications of the attitudinal challenges and barriers faced are documented and important program
and policy interventions articulated.
TITLE: Social Investment in Children: The Case of Street Children in Jamaica
AUTHORS: Nathalee Ferguson
INSTITUTION:
The 2002 National Survey on Street and Working Children in Jamaica cited approximately 6, 448 street children in
Jamaica. This figure includes those who work on the streets and those who both live and work on the streets. Their
experiences are heart wrenching and brings into question, adherence to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
and the Development agenda in Jamaica. While programmes exist to help alleviate the problem and while
evaluations of the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) Estimates of Expenditure reveal that there is some level of
investment in children. Street children receive a smaller proportion of this investment and remain more vulnerable
and socially excluded. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders that children enjoy a ―good‖ quality childhood. This
paper examines the trajectories of street children, their needs and puts forward possible policy interventions to
address this social issue.
TITLE: Social Investment in Jamaican Children with Disabilities: An Investigation into State and
Non-State Expenditure
AUTHORS: Jhana K. Harris
INSTITUTION:
As according to statistics gathered in 2005 from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 15.4% of
Jamaica‘s children 2 to 9 were reportedly diagnosed with at least one disability. As a consequence, the research
paper sought to discover the level of social investment in children with disabilities, how State funds were allocated
and the current Non-State provision for children with disabilities. The methodology employed to garner the findings
were a mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Elite interviews were conducted with head of agencies that
cater to children with disabilities and questionnaires were given to caregivers and teachers of homes and schools for
children with disabilities. In addition secondary data from previous researches conducted by UNICEF, the Office of
the Children‘s Advocate and many others were used to put the research paper together.
The main findings gathered highlighted a paucity of social investment in children with disabilities. In addition, it
was highlighted that the meagre funding received were mainly used for administrative undertakings, for example
salary distribution. It was found that many of the agencies had a large quantity of services offering; as a result the
meagre funding could not effectively and efficiently ‗stretch‘ to deliver quality of service to clients. As a result, it was
recommended that the downsizing of services be examined as a viable option. Also, another integral finding was the
penchant for volunteerism in caring for children with disabilities. However, it was found that many lacked the
professional training required to attend to this special needs group. As a result, the training of professionals should be
also seen as a viable and rational option. This could encourage the longevity in the field of care for children with
disabilities, as it could be seen as a career/profession. In addition, it will enhance the quality of care and service that
children with disabilities receive.
It is important to note that social investment in children with disabilities ensures the dignity of the child, the
promotion of self-reliance and it also facilitates the child‘s participation within the wider society. It should be
remembered that children with disabilities are first and foremost children. As result they are a part of the children
population and are a part of the future of this country. Therefore, all social and legislative frameworks should be
implemented to equip them with the aptitude to become respectable and contributing citizens.

33. TITLE: Public Perception of Adoptive Parents and their Children
AUTHORS: Sandra Notice-Thomas
INSTITUTION:
Adoption touches on the lives of individuals one way or another. The general feeling is that people need to feel a
sense of belonging, love and acceptance. For childless couples there is the need for a feeling of fulfilment while for
others there is a need to fulfil their Christian duty or simply a need to care for the less fortunate children. Adoption
not only facilitates persons in older age group but also to the younger population (even if it is just a small number in
this area). Unfortunately there seems to be certain negative perceive notion that threatens to take away the joy of
adopting, both to the adopter as well as the adoptee. This stigma is prevalent among community members, family
members, friends and peers. This study however, has shown that contrary to previous studies which has shown that
there is a stigma attach to adoption, that stigma is fast disappearing as persons are now becoming more aware of the
need for adoption and the purpose for which it serve, not only to the parent but to the child as well. Discrimination
against persons who have adopted a child is becoming less prevalent, and adopted children are no longer seen as
being ‗different‘. Nonetheless, despite this breakthrough there are still those in the minority who tend/want to keep
the stigma alive. However due to the continued rise for the need to adopt a child and the new prestige that is now
attach to adoption, laws which continue to be revised to protect the persons involved in the adoption process.
SESSION 5
TITLE: Literature, Media and Child Rights: Challenges and Opportunities in the Caribbean
AUTHORS: Kellie Magnus
INSTITUTION:
Article 17 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child calls on governments to recognize the critical role
media and literature play in children‘s education and development. It specifically recommends the provision of
diverse national and international books and media that are culturally and socially beneficial for children, as well as
the development of guidelines to protect children from injurious materials. Five years before 2015, how far has the
Caribbean come in harnessing the power of children‘s media and literature in achieving these objectives?
Using international case studies and best practices, the paper addresses the potential role of children‘s
literature and media in children‘s development and then assesses the Caribbean‘s progress. The aim of the research
is to quantify regional children‘s book and media production and distribution, with specific emphasis on the availability
of pro-social and local/regional content; and to evaluate regional policies to protect children and to stimulate the
development of appropriate books and media. The findings are drawn from ongoing research on children‘s
publishing, media production and distribution in Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados, including: 1) a two-week
quantitative analysis of children‘s content in the media – print, radio and television; 2) a quantitative survey on
children‘s books published and distributed in each island; and 3) a review of children‘s programming codes and other
policies to stimulate book and media development for children.
Preliminary findings indicate that regional production and distribution of children‘s books and media fall far
below international standards; that children‘s programming codes are insufficient and inconsistently applied; and that
efforts to stimulate the development of children‘s books and media are limited to instructional materials. The paper‘s
recommendations include a proposed model for a regional partnership on children‘s media production; the
development of a regional children‘s programming code; a public/private sector partnership to stimulate regional
publishing; and proposed areas for interdisciplinary research.
TITLE: A Situational Analysis of Child Rights in Jamaica: Legislation
AUTHORS: Joy Moncrieffe, Heather Gallimore, Marva Campbell, Julie Meeks Gardner
INSTITUTION: Caribbean Child Development Centre
Consortium for Social Research and Development
University of the West Indies, Open Campus
Jamaica signed onto the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1991. This report on legislation is drawn
from an OAS-commissioned review of the status of Child Rights in Jamaica. (Later reports will focus on additional
areas.) Existing and pending legislation relevant to children‘s rights was surveyed. Key informant interviews and
workshops, and focus groups with children provided information on implementation, knowledge and perceptions of
the legislation. The primary relevant legislation, the Child Care and Protection Act (2004), was well considered
though views diverged as to the extent to which it addresses all children‘s rights. The CCPA and other legislations
cover an extensive range of issues, though gaps remain with respect to child labour; sexual offenses and physical
violence against children; rights of specific categories of vulnerable children; and securing the best interests of
children in need of care and protection inter alia. Implementation and adherence also need strengthening.