KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Early Childhood Commission (ECC) says the early childhood development sector has made significant progress in recovery following the impact of Hurricane Melissa, with the majority of institutions now reopened despite widespread damage.

Post-impact assessments show that 466 of the island’s 2,420 early childhood institutions were affected by the hurricane. Of those, 175 sustained mild damage, 159 moderate damage and 132 severe damage. Fifty-five certified institutions were among those impacted, while 28 facilities were temporarily inaccessible due to flooding, debris or infrastructure damage.

An estimated 24,058 infants and 2,305 early childhood practitioners were affected, with regions three, four and five recording the highest levels of disruption.

However, as at January 28, 2026, 2,399 early childhood institutions had reopened, representing approximately 99.1 per cent of facilities islandwide.

The details were outlined in a release on Thursday from the Early Childhood Commission.

“Hurricane Melissa tested the resilience of our early childhood sector, but it also highlighted the strength of our systems and the unwavering dedication of our practitioners,” said Executive Director of the ECC, Dr Karlene DeGrasse-Deslandes. “Our priority remains ensuring that every child returns to a safe, nurturing and emotionally supportive environment, while we deliberately rebuild and strengthen services across affected communities.”

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr Kasan Troupe, said the recovery effort goes beyond restoring physical infrastructure.

“The recovery of the early childhood sector is not only about restoring infrastructure, but about safeguarding continuity of care, learning and emotional wellbeing for our youngest learners,” she said.

According to the release, recovery efforts have included phased clean-up and repair works, strengthened safety monitoring and guidance to institutions to ensure reopening and continued operations meet national health and safety standards.

The release also said psychosocial sessions and visits were conducted with support from Early Starters International, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Jamaica and technical officers in the ministry, reaching more than 1,616 stakeholders. Thirty-two play kits funded by the ECC and the CHASE Fund, along with 26 “School-in-a-Box” kits from UNICEF Jamaica, were distributed to severely affected parishes.

Damage assessment reports were shared with partners, including the National Education Trust and private sector stakeholders. The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information is processing approximately $29.8 million in clean-up grants for the early childhood sector, which will be disbursed through the ECC, the release said.

Recovery efforts are continuing alongside implementation of the Jamaica Brain Builder Programme, the national 0–3 strategy aligned with the Nurturing Care Model. The programme currently serves 3,230 children across 138 Brain Builder Centres, supported by 588 trained staff.

Despite ongoing repairs, several centres have continued operations under temporary safety arrangements and adjusted routines.

The ECC said it remains committed to supporting institutions to meet operating standards and to strengthening resilience across the early childhood sector.