McCam Child Care and Development Centre is marking 30 years with a benefit concert and dance at the St Andrew High School auditorium on Cecelio Avenue in Kingston, this evening.

Slated to perform are Gem Myers, Ernie Smith, Fab 5 band, musician Jon Williams, and the Immaculate Conception Steel Band.

The concert is being held under the distinguished patronage of Earl Jarrett, general manager of Jamaica National Building Society.

Dr Pauline Watson Campbell, founder of the institution, said the event will assist in offsetting operational costs.

“The benefit concert is one of the fundraising initiatives being held by the Centre to help balance the ever-rising operational costs and to prevent, as much as possible, these costs from being passed on to parents,” she said.

Located in the Hope Estate area of Papine, the McCam Centre provides an environment conducive to learning, where children with special needs and those without, will get equal opportunities for an education. This inclusive setting allows the children to become aware of and sensitive to each other’s needs. The programme, established by McCam, became the benchmark for inclusive education in Jamaica and its assessment and therapeutic intervention is ranked highly by the Ministry of Education and other professionals.