Arguing that too many persons have a difficulty accepting people who are different from themselves in some way, Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughn, chairman of the Early Childhood Commission, said Jamaicans need to show more care for children with special needs.

“As a society we are failing to care for our children in general and for our special children more specifically,” Professor Samms-Vaughn said during the launch of the Jamaica Down’s Syndrome Foundation (JDSF) Limited at The Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston last Wednesday.

Parents, she added, have a role to play in ensuring that their children, the future generation, learn the importance of being sensitive towards persons with special needs in order to effect change.

“First, we have to ensure that we care for our children in our homes… We not only have to be caring for our own children, but we also have to have a caring home where our children can learn from us how important it is to care for others who are less fortunate,” she urged. “Our children need to be involved from an early age in caring for children their own age.”

At the same time, Professor Samms-Vaughn pointed out that under the Early Childhood Act, teachers will be required to have training to deal with children with disabilities in order to foster integration between normal children and disabled children at an early age.

Meantime, Dr Charmaine Scott, founder and director of the JDSF, said there is limited data on the number of persons born with Down’s Syndrome (DS) in Jamaica; however, she has been collecting data since January, which indicate that there are currently 148 persons living with DS. She also noted that of this number 25 were babies born since the beginning of the year.

The JDSF, she added, will provide much-needed support for many families who are affected by DS.

“…This came out of a pressing need to form a group that focuses on Down’s Syndrome,” she said, adding that there was no local group that focused on DS prior to now. “The mission of the JDSF is to create public awareness to promote acceptance, connect families and children with DS, and have workshops for health care professionals.”

Additionally, Dr Scott said the foundation will have regular parent group meetings and plans to establish a DS awareness week. This, she noted, will help families to deal with the many psycho-social issues, such as stigmatisation, that affect persons living with DS.

“We also want to establish archival mechanisms for registration and surveillance of Down’s Syndrome cases in Jamaica,” Dr Scott added.

Meantime, Pauline Lovindeer, the mother of a child born with DS, told the gathering that she cried when she learnt that her daughter had DS, but she has since learnt to accept and cope “through the grace of God”.