KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – The Child Development Agency (CDA), in partnership with the Nathan Ebanks Foundation, will host a Children’s Expo and Special Needs Resource Fair on Saturday at Hope Gardens, under the theme: ‘Finding Help, Finding Hope’.

Manager of Public Relations and Communication at the CDA, Rochelle Dixon, told JIS News that persons who have children with any form of disability will have the opportunity to access over 30 services catering to children with special needs.Parents are being encouraged to take their special needs children or children who they suspect may have some challenges to the event where they will be tested, free of cost. “We will provide all the services that are required to screen a child. It will be a one stop shop,” Dixon said.Meanwhile, Founder of the Nathan Ebanks Foundation, Christine Staple-Ebanks, said the expo and fair will provide the space where “we can connect parents to the resources, carry out parenting education, provide information, referrals and some basic training that will help them get started on the journey of understanding how to support their children.”Services to be offered include psychological testing, academic screening, oral checks, basic development screening, hearing assessment, depression screening and health checks.The event will begin with an opening ceremony at 11:00am, followed by activities catering to the needs of the children and ending with a one hour concert starting at 5:00pm.Some organisations that will participate include the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR); the National Child Month Committee (NCMC); Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Special Education Unit; Ministry of Health; Down Syndrome Association; and the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities.Also participating is the Early Childhood Commission (ECC), the Jamaica Library Service, the National Parent Teacher Association and the National Parenting Support Commission.Sponsors include Supreme Ventures Foundation, Kirk Distributors Limited, Colgate Palmolive Company, Guardsman Armoured, Party Plus and the Organization of American States/Organization of Women of the Americas (OAS/OWA).