Volunteer Care projects in Jamaica; work with children in orphanages, day-care centers, care homes and disabled centers

Parenting Project – Care in Jamaica

Parenting project in JamaicaIn order to touch the lives of children in a meaningful way, we have to improve on the skills of parents who are charged with the task of shaping young minds into wholesome characters. Based on the stakeholder meetings we have been having across the parish, the issue of parenting keeps resonating as one critical area which needs increased focus.

Projects Abroad Jamaica Care placements have been focused on working in orphanages but we are now expanding into other critical areas. The Parenting Project is designed to allow volunteers to work with 4 to 5 families in a specific community. At times parents do not have the skills or resources to help their children in productive ways. Projects Abroad Jamaica is partnering with Rural Family Support Organization (RuFamSO) to expand their Roving Caregivers Program.

The RCP is a rural home visiting, early stimulation and parenting initiative, which is designed to provide enrichment to young children and their parents through training and deployment of young caregivers called Rovers. The RCP serves approximately 1,445 children up to the age of 3 years in 3 rural parishes in Jamaica. It is designed to promote the development, health and nutrition of children, the self-esteem and child rearing knowledge and practices of the parents, as well as to assist with income-generating activities for families. Secondary school leavers are recruited as rovers to work in the areas in which they live. They are trained to demonstrate and teach the parents development activities and child rearing practices. Parenting education sessions are also provided away from the homes in group settings by a professional.

The parenting program:

  • Provides regular sessions on the development and stimulation of children
  • Trains Roving Caregivers and Day Care Assistants
  • Trains parents in parenting education and skills acquisition in communities
  • Conducts parenting education sessions for teen mothers
  • Prepares Roving Caregivers for professional Early Childhood Development certification

Volunteer in JamaicaA number of other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have also examined the project with a view to replicating it while four have established roving caregivers programs based on this model.

The RCP is a model for the delivery of early development/stimulation services to children at a low cost to parents as well as to service delivery agencies. It allows children to remain in their homes while receiving services and simultaneously allows for the participation and empowerment of the parents. It enables children in remote rural areas who do not usually have access to early childhood development services to develop capabilities and skills like their peers who are enrolled in day care centers and kindergartens.

Volunteers can get involved and be trained as rovers to assist in this program. You are also given a manual, reference material and educational activities. If you have skills and training in early childhood development that is a plus but if you are interested in early childhood development or just willing to work with children you can be a part of this program. All volunteers undergo a two day training workshop prior to commencement of their work.