Presentation by CDA CEO Carla Francis-Edie at the UN Violence Conference which opened on May 15, 2012.

1. Advances in Public Policy and Coordination
for Child Protection: The Jamaican Experience
Presentation by
Carla Francis-Edie
Chief Executive Officer
Child Development Agency

2. Opening Statement
 The Government of Jamaica, with the support of
civil society groups and international partners, has
made tremendous strides in establishing an
effective policy and legislative framework to better
empower and protect children.
 These measures are guided by the principles of the
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to which
Jamaica became party in 1991, and further
reinforced by the Millennium Development Goals
and recommendations emerging out of the UNVAC
Study.

3. The History
 For many years Jamaica’s child protection system
was uncoordinated; several government entities
were dealing with matters related to children
welfare and development.
 The end result was fragmented effort and
inadequate impact in addressing the developmental
needs of the nation’s children.
 Jamaica has always had active child-focused NGOs
which have worked in close partnership with
government on policy and legislative initiatives.

4. Elements of Jamaica’s Progress
 Signing a key international agreement guiding the care
and protection of children.
 Developing a national roadmap to guide local policy
and legislative alignment with international
agreements.
 Undertaking institutional development, strengthening
and coordination.
 Enacting child protection legislation and policy to
activate the principles of international agreements.
 Enforcing and implementing legislation to enhance the
protection of children.

5. Elements of Jamaica’s Progress
(Cont’d)
 Developing child-specific national policies geared at
greater access to justice, violence prevention,
protection and social and economic development of
children.
 Coordinating national policies across sectors for
more cohesive social and economic empowerment
of children and families.
 Establishing a coordinating mechanism for all child-
centred policies.

6. The UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child
 Jamaica signed the CRC in 1991 which became
the catalyst for major developments in the
country’s child protection system.
 The CRC sparked major institutional restructuring
and consolidation for greater focus on child
development issues.
 A raft of child-friendly legislative and policy
initiatives to bring Jamaica in line with the
principles of the CRC, also followed.

7. National Plan of Action for Children
 The National Plan of
Action & related policy
for children were
developed in 1997 as
roadmaps to guide
Jamaica’s effort to
bring national policies
in alignment with the
CRC.

8. Institutional Consolidation
The Child Development Agency
 The Child Development Agency was established in 2004 out of an
amalgamation of the Adoption Unit, the Child Support Unit and the Children
Services Division.
 The CDA is an executive agency under the Ministry of Youth and Culture
which is responsible for promoting the welfare of children in care of the
State; safeguarding children from abuse through advocacy and public
education, and providing necessary interventions for children in need of care
and protection.
 The agency has been a major driver in the development and implementation
of child-friendly policies and legislation.
 The CDA has been the agency that has been liaising with NGO’s and
international agencies such as UNICEF and others, to advance the child
protection agenda in Jamaica.

9. Coordination through
The Multi-Agency Approach
Jamaica is now experiencing an era of unprecedented
collaboration among the various agencies involved in child care
and protection.
 A multi-agency approach was introduced to effectively manage child abuse,
with special attention to sexual abuse cases. Under this mechanism, the
Child Development Agency, Office of the Children’s Advocate, the Centre for
the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse, and the Victim Support
Unit, now hold joint debriefing of abuse victims.
 The Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse
(CISOCA) is a Police Unit established to uniquely focus on investigating
sexual crimes, and violence against children.
 The group also meets regularly to discuss and assess operations.

10. Institutional Development &
The Child Care and Protection Act
 The CCPA is a watershed piece of legislation which
was enacted in 2004. It has been a key
instrument in facilitating cross-agency
coordination and greater communication with the
public on child care and protection matters.
 Through the CCPA, the Office of the Children’s
Registry and the Office of the Children’s Advocate,
two key institutions in child protection, were
brought into being.

11. Legislation
The Child Care and Protection Act
 The legislation has a provision for mandatory reporting of all
suspected or known cases of abuse, neglect and
abandonment of children. Reports must be made by ordinary
citizens and prescribed persons such as medical professionals,
counselors, social workers and educators.
 The legislation aligns Jamaica’s child protection system with
the CRC.
 It increases penalties for violation of the rights of children.
 It is based on the best interest of the child principle.

12. Other Key Pieces of
Legislation Impacting Children
 The Trafficking in Person (Prevention,
Suppression, and Punishment) Act (2007).
 Cyber Crimes Act (2010).
 The Child Pornography Act.
 Sexual Offences Act (2009).

13. National Policy
National Framework of Action for Children
 The NFAC combines 4. Care for children in
sector plans related to special circumstances;
children into a single
framework. The NFAC
has six core areas: 5. Secure living
environment – building
community and family
1. Healthy lifestyle and contexts that are
lives for children; conducive to children’s
development;
2. Providing quality
education for children; 6. Meaningful child
participation.
3. Protection against abuse,
exploitation and
violence;

14. National Policy
National Plan Action for an Integrated Approach to
Children and Violence
 The NPACV is a five-year plan geared at reducing the
impact of violence against children through an
integrated approach to prevention, control,
monitoring and intervention, so children may
preserve their rights and grow up to be productive
citizens.
 The Plan is a major initiative on the part of the State
to effectively coordinate inter-sectoral response to
the urgent matter of violence against children.

15. National Policy
National Plan of Action for Child Justice
 The NPACJ was approved by Cabinet in October
2011 as a comprehensive initiative framing multi-
agency response to child justice.
 The goal of the NPACJ is to develop and sustain a
child-friendly justice system, and a programme for
the expansion of the family court facilities among
other measures.

16. NPACJ- Other Objectives
 The implementation of measures to assist young and
vulnerable witnesses;
 The establishment of Boards of Visitors in children’s
correctional facilities;
 The strengthening of the Centre for the Investigation of
Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) and,
 The development of programme for conflict resolution in
schools, among other provisions.

17. Other National Policies
to Impact Children in Specific Sectors
 Education -The Safe  Health - The Healthy
Schools Programme; Lifestyles Programme;
 Community – National  Home – National
Crime Prevention and Parenting Policy.
Community Safety
Strategy and the Police
Anti-gang Strategy;

18. National Policy and Legislative Alignment –
Vision 2030
 Vision 2030 – is a broad-based strategic national
development plan which is geared at making
Jamaica the place to live, work, raise families, and
do business.
 Protecting our children and tapping into our vast
human resource potential is a key part of Vision
2030. The plan speaks to promoting the safety,
security, health, economic empowerment and
education of our children.

19. Conclusion
 The Government of Jamaica stands resolute
in its continued commitment to
strengthening local and national systems and
programmes aimed at eliminating violence
against children.