Child Rights Initiative – Care in Jamaica

The Child Rights Initiative (CRI) is a care project which combines the four broad categories of children’s rights based on UNICEF’s Convention of the Rights of the Child, namely Participation Rights, Survival Rights, Developmental Rights and Protection Rights. CRI directly addresses the social needs of children in Jamaica as well as utilising the skills of volunteers in related fields.

Volunteers who are interested in gaining experience in social work, psychology, sociology, family life education, guidance and counselling are particularly suited to this project. No previous experience is needed; however, volunteers who are already studying a related subject at university will be especially helpful.

Participation Rights involves the right of children to freely express opinions and to have a say in matters that affect their social, economic, religious, cultural and political life. Participation rights include the right to express opinions and be heard, the right to information and freedom of association. Projects Abroad Jamaica has partnered with the Rotary Club of Mandeville to establish EarlyAct clubs. EarlyAct is a school-wide service club for elementary students from ages 5 to 13. EarlyAct provides young students with the opportunity for gaining an increased awareness and knowledge of their community and the world.

Volunteers are responsible for coordinating and managing the activities of the clubs and ensuring that planned projects take place. Some activities may be executed outside of the normal school week and volunteers are therefore required to have a full commitment to the Participation Rights component of CRI.

Survival Rights focuses on the most basic, essential requirements needed for a child’s survival. This includes the right to adequate food, shelter and clean water. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security through the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), runs this programme. PATH is a government assisted programme which provides support to poor and vulnerable families. We focus on working with children from birth to the completion of secondary school.

Volunteers work alongside a local social worker and assist with writing reports, investigations and background assessments, home visits and school visits.

Developmental Rights includes the right to formal education, primary health care, leisure, recreational and cultural activities and information about these rights. Projects Abroad is working with the Mico Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) Centre on these aspects of the project. The programme is geared towards providing special education services to school children with various problems that affect their learning. Services offered include psychological and educational assessment, counselling, workshops and seminars for parents and teachers, and speech and language evaluations.

Volunteers assist with parent interviews, group assessments, observation of psychological and educational assessments, preparing reports, and the planning and implementation of workshops and seminars.

Protection Rights involves protecting the child from all harm and danger including physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse, child labour, violence and all forms of exploitation. The organisation with primary responsibility for this area is the Child Development Agency (CDA).

The CDA is the result of a merger between Children Services Division, the Adoption Board and the Child Support Unit. The CDA is responsible for arranging adoptions, foster care, counselling, family support, family reintegration and case management.

The CDA aims to safeguard children from becoming at risk through advocacy of child rights and the development of public awareness of children issues.

Volunteers work alongside a Children’s Officer assisting with collecting and documenting information from new clients and receiving reports of possible child abuse, neglect and abandonment. Volunteers may also assist with investigative field work, counselling, case planning and case management.

Other tasks can include making court appearances with the Children's Officer on the behalf of children, preparing reports and helping with other general administrative and clerical duties associated with the Children's Officer’s responsibilities.

Volunteers joining this project for just two weeks or one month focus on one of the above four areas, however, if you are joining the project for 2 months or more, it’s possible to gain experience in more than one area.