KINGSTON, Jamaica — In the seven months following Hurricane Melissa’s devastation across communities in St Elizabeth, St James and Manchester, over 6,000 children and caregivers received critical psychosocial and parenting support through a joint intervention by Children First Agency (CFA) and UNICEF Jamaica.

According to a release from CFA, the Child Protection Immediate Humanitarian Response project reached 6,426 parents and children through child-friendly spaces, parenting sessions and mobile mental health and psychosocial support activities designed to help families recover from the storm’s impact. For many families, recovery has involved more than rebuilding homes, it has meant rebuilding a sense of safety and hope.

Debbie Harrison, who was in the final stages of pregnancy when the hurricane destroyed her home, recalls being especially worried about her daughter, 11-year-old Teyana who, following the disaster, struggled with anxiety. Participation in one of the project’s child-friendly spaces helped change that. “Mi stop nervous and start to feel happy inside. Mi get fi meet new friends and learn new words,” said Teyana, who proudly explained that resilience means “bouncing back from stress or challenges”.

Children engaged in self-play at the Child Friendly Space in Barton/Newton, St. Elizabeth.

The project established 13 child-friendly spaces, providing safe environments where children could process their experiences through structured play, group activities and psychosocial support. Sessions focused on emotional regulation, grief and loss, stress management and resilience-building.

For local resident Kaydia Wright, the change in her children was noticeable. Her seven-year-old twins struggled with sleeplessness and fear whenever strong winds blew after the hurricane.

“The sessions helped my children mentally and emotionally. After school they were able to have a little extra fun and talk about their feelings. They learned to express themselves more. They loved it,” she said. Wright believes programmes like this are essential.

“It’s very good for the community,” Wright added.

Community representative Kishawn Laidlow echoed that sentiment, noting that the positive response from families demonstrated the programme’s value.

“It’s the first time something like this is happening in this community. Parents accepted it because they could see the difference it was making for their children,” she said.

Kaydia Wright attending a parenting session held on the grounds of the Glen Vincent Bromfield Resource Center in Barton/Newton St, Elizabeth.

Recognising that caregivers also need support during recovery, the project included 15 parenting and caregiver sessions focused on parental stress, positive parenting, adolescent development and child protection.

For Diandra James, a mother of nine who lost almost everything in the severe flooding, those sessions became a lifeline. She said the tools and support she received helped her better manage her own mental health while continuing to care for her children.

After sheltering with family for three weeks in an unfinished building, Wright also credited the group counselling sessions with helping parents process their experiences and cope with the emotional toll of the disaster.

According to licensed clinical social worker, Dr Chelece-Atavia Brown, the psychological effects of hurricanes can be long-lasting.

“Hurricanes are not just environmental events, but also psychosocial events that reshape how communities experience safety, stability and hope,” she said, emphasising that trauma recovery must be viewed as a long-term process.

The CFA and UNICEF Jamaica said they will continue collaborating through the end of 2026 to strengthen community-based child protection systems and expand access to psychosocial support services. The initiative was made possible through the generous support of the United States Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response (US/DHR) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).