KINGSTON, Jamaica — Work is ongoing to ensure that babies who are abandoned are placed with foster or adoptive families far sooner than currently obtains.

The announcement comes following news yesterday of a baby girl who was abandoned at Coronation Market. Police said the baby was found by a homeless man.

Read: Newborn girl abandoned in Coronation Market

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Robert Nesta Morgan, who has direct responsibility for the youth and information portfolio, noted that the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), a unit of Ministry of Education,  has activated its processes  to take control of the situation involving the baby girl as a matter of urgency.

“We understand the hardship and emotional stress that parents sometimes encounter. Abandoning a child is an act driven by desperation, and we should be compassionate towards any parent who feels that is the best option for their child,” he said.

He noted that while the policy of the Government is to have children remain with their biological families, there are situations in which this is just not possible.

“The child’s best interest is always paramount. There are existing facilities to receive and take care of abandoned babies and babies relinquished by the birth parent at the hospital; however, the child’s best interest is to be placed with an approved foster family or prospective adopter without delay,” he said.

He said there are over one hundred approved adopters waiting for the CPFSA to place children with them; and some have been on the list for as long as five years.

“Minister (Fayval) Williams and myself have been working with the CPFSA to deal specifically with the issues of babies left unattended, and babies who are left at the hospital, with a view to placing them with families far sooner than currently obtains. There are also several older children in State care who may be eligible for adoption; processing their cases is another priority action we have mandated the CPFSA to work on,” he said.

He added: “Babies, when abandoned, should go directly into the arms of loving foster families, who will care for them while the CPFSA carries out its investigations and seeks to locate the biological family and determine if it is in the child’s best interest to be returned to them.

“We have spent the last two months working towards making this standard procedure, and Cabinet will very soon be asked to give direction on this issue. Abandoned and relinquished babies should not be in facilities. We will announce and implement the changes early next year.”

He said the CPFSA needs more resources to better carry out its duties; and, “we are seeking to increase the number of social workers and build the agency’s capacity to shorten the timelines between children entering care and being placed in approved foster or adoptive families”.

“The time it takes for a child to be placed with a forever family is much too long. This must change,” he insisted.

Meanwhile, while calling for better support for families in need, Education Minister Fayval Williams says there needs to be fundamental change in how the society and State handle the issues of adoption and abandonment of children.

“We need to better support families and parents in need, whether to improve their material and psychosocial situation so they are able to care for and raise their children, or to place the child with one of the many approved, waiting families,” Williams said.

The ministers are also working on fast-tracking the tabling of a new Adoption Act.

“Our 1958 Act was copied from the British; they have revised their laws four times since,” Williams said.

“Our adoption laws and processes need to be updated to better serve children who are adopted, the families that adopt them, and birth parents.”