According to Jamaica’s Child Care and Protection Act of 2004, the family is the preferred environment for the care and upbringing of children. However, at the end of December 2007, there were 2,442 children in institutional care in Jamaica, over double the amount that were in foster care. In an effort to examine the system of care, the Office of the Children’s Advocate undertook research into the Foster Care Programme in Jamaica. The study, which was carried out by the UWI’s Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, aimed to determine the effectiveness and the efficiency of the Foster Care Programme, assess the treatment of children in Foster Care, assess the adherence to child rights in the provision of Foster Care, provide policy direction for the enhancement of the Programme.
The Foster Care Programme is part of the Child Development Agency’s Living In Family Environment (LIFE) Programme. The Agency’s Corporate Strategic Plan 2009-2012 reflects its commitment to the transformation of the child protection system in Jamaica, by strategically moving away from a system that relies on the traditional child rescue approach, to one that embraces the family support model while also proving its cost effectiveness. This targeted transformation also includes improving service delivery to children, and realizing the best outcomes for each child in care, thus ensuring he or she is fully prepared for reintegration into a nurturing family setting and/or into adult society.
