KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) &nmash; Twenty parent mentors from across the island was recognised by the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) for service to their communities.

The mentors, representing 24 parent clubs, were honoured at the first annual Parent Mentors Awards ceremony held on Tuesday at Waterfalls on Old Hope Road.         

Awards were presented for Parent Support Leader of the Year, Parent Support Manager of the Year, Parent Mentor of the Year, Best Team Spirit, Best Performing Cluster, Best Performing Region; and Best Programme Innovation.    

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green, in congratulating the awardees, encouraged them to continue the good work as they seek to transform the nation.       

 “We have to go back to the days (of) ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, so as parent mentors I applaud you for the good work you are doing in ensuring that every child is nurtured,” Green said.

The NPSC’s mentorship programme is a voluntary initiative designed to provide assistance and support to families at risk or in need.

The mentors, who are volunteers, undergo training in effective parenting and practical fieldwork before being deployed in the communities.

Director of Parenting Support Coordination and Behaviour Change at the NPSC, Peta-Gay Waugh, informed that there are 38 active parent mentors.

She noted that the programme, which was launched in 2014, has been revamped.  

 “We have included home-visit strategies, we have strengthened the conflict-resolution mediation module, with the Dispute Resolution Foundation coming on board to conduct the training. There has also been improvement in the effective parenting component of the training, which will have psychologists conducting most of the training in this module,” she indicated.

Waugh noted that through the parent clubs, school-based programmes such as homework centres, and empowerment, mentorship and parenting skills training, have been implemented in various communities.

Established in 2013, the NPSC is the lead agency in the Ministry of Education that interfaces with parents and community stakeholders, and is tasked with providing a framework for supporting parents, and improving parental skills.