KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Child Development Agency (CDA) says help is on the way for the family whose house was destroyed by fire in the Washington Boulevard area on Monday, leaving 11 people including four children homeless.

A news release from the agency disclosed that several of their officers visited the family yesterday which included children ages six months to 13 years old who are currently staying with extended relatives.

PR and Communications Manager at the Child Development Agency, Rochelle Dixon said that “having done a needs assessment, our initial assistance will be focused on providing the family with food, clothing and other personal care items; this will be followed by grief counselling support.”

The agency said it will be looking at the level of counselling support which is needed as a cursory for the affected children who would have been traumatised by this incident.

“We understand that where the families are being accommodated by other relatives in the short term and there is the need for more suitable housing arrangement, we will be having dialogue with Food for the Poor to see if any assistance can be rendered,” Dixon explained.

The agency will be working with other social services, NGOs and private sector companies to assist with providing any other items that are needed.

The CFSU provides assistance to children and families facing economic challenges and instability in the family. Since the start of the year, the CFSU team provided intervention to 4,636 children and their families.