Presentation by Tanisha Miller, Manager, Community Relations, Early Childhood Commission, Jamaica delivered at the Early Childhood Development Regional Research Conference, hosted by UNICEF and the Caribbean Development Bank, February 13- 15, 2018 in Antigua and Barbuda.

1. Early Childhood
Development Services in
Jamaica
Tanisha Miller
Manager, Community Relations
Early Childhood Commission
February 13, 2018

2. EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT SECTOR
STRATEGY MAP – OCTOBER 200
Nationalimpact
Customer
satisfaction
KeyprocessesWorkingenvironment
I1. Critical thinking,
socially competent,
healthy children ready
for life
I2. Parents are informed,
educated, involved and
supported in meeting
early childhood
development needs
I1. Our children’s special
needs are taken care of
I2. Fathers, mothers, guardians
are involved and satisfied with
services provided to their children
IP1:
Eeffective
parenting
education
and
support
IP2:
Effective
preventive
health care
IP3:
Effective
screening,
diagnosis
and
intervention
for “at risk”
IP4: Safe
learner
centred
well-
maintained
EC facilities
IP5: Effective
curriculum
delivery by
trained early
childhood
practitioners
LG1: The sector and sector
agencies are achieveing targets
and are governed by
frameworks that promote
achieving results in a
consultative environment
LG2:
Timely clear and current information
to support evidence based decision
making

3. Parenting
Achievements 2012-2018
 National Parenting Policy (Approved by Parliament 2012)
 Development and Piloting of National Parenting Strategy (Parents’
Places)
 Certification of 20% of EC Parenting Programmes
 Development and implementation of Public Education Programme on
Parenting at the EC level
 Implementation of Communication Strategy
 Expand the assessment of parenting programmes

4. Child Health and Nutrition
2012-2018
 This area supports enhancing the preventive health care and early
childhood care facilities through
 Development and implementation of the nutrition service delivery model for
children 0 -3 in ECIs, homes and well-child clinics.
 The assessment of clinics offering well-child clinics
 Development and national implementation of the Child Health and
Development Passport (with MOH)
 Development of Infant and Young Child Feeding Policy
 Development of a Nutrition Support Strategy for children 4-6 years at
ECIs, including menus and recipes

5. Families and Children At Risk
2012-2018
 Development of 3 Jamaica-specific and Psychometrically Tested Screening Tools
 Family Risk Screening Tool : To identify families at risk
 Child Development Screening Tool: To identify children at develop./behav. risk
 Four Year Old Readiness Evaluation : To identify pre-school children who need evaluation
and intervention
 The piloting and national roll-out the Jamaica School Readiness Assessment.

6. Quality ECIs
2012-2018
 Effective Standards and Inspection System
 Review of Legislation and Inspection Process
 Transition to inspection of only the legal standards with comprehensive
inspections every 5 years
 Support ECIs to meet standards
 Development and Implementation of ECI Development Plans
 Development and implementation of a national training plan to meet ECI
needs
• The ECC’s National Rationalization Programme (creation Infant
Schools and Departments)
• Developing and implementing targeted strategies for Certification of
ECIs

7. Quality Teachers & Appropriate Curricula
2012-2018
 Effective Staffing Strategy for ECIs
 HEART TRUST NTA
 NCTVET
 Ensure quality teaching of approved curriculum
 Standardization of training methodologies across teacher training colleges and
ECC,s DOs.
 COT
 Provision of materials to ECIs to support curriculum delivery

8. THANK YOU
“It is easier to build strong children then to repair broken men”
Frederick Douglass