ST JAMES, Jamaica — State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green, says the Government has placed renewed focus on the foster care programme with the objective of encouraging more persons to open their homes to children in State care.

He noted that a five-year development plan to advance the system has been instituted.

“We want to get more of you who are passionate about our children, who have the space… taking some of our children from our residential care facilities and giving them a home,” he noted.

Green was speaking at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) 2019 National Foster Care Week Church Service at the Ocho Rios Baptist Church in St Ann yesterday.

Up to September 2018, a total of 4,443 children were in the childcare and protection system

Of that number 1,853 were in traditional residential care facilities or in foster care.

The state minister said that CPFSA has identified 70 children who are ready to be placed in foster care.

“Our goal is to place more children in families because, as I have said before, the research shows that children do better when they are placed in caring family environments, Green said.

“There are tremendous success stories about children who came from very difficult backgrounds but found loving foster parents… and we have seen how through their love, though the inspiration of hope, these children are now prospering and now able to fulfil their true potential,” he added.

National Foster Care Week is being observed from February 10 to 15 under the theme ‘Give love, Inspire Hope, Foster a Child’.

— JIS