CPFSA reports all children and staff safe after Beryl’s passage

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) says that all the children and staff at its 50 government and private residential childcare facilities and places of safety are safe and secured, following the passing of hurricane Beryl on Wednesday.

"Our management team as well as members from our disaster management committee met at our emergency operations centre, where we monitored all the childcare facilities across the island throughout the storm. We are happy to report that all the children under our care and the dedicated staff who weathered the storm with them are all accounted for and are safe," said Laurette Adams-Thomas, CEO of the CPFSA.

"The vast majority of our childcare facilities are also okay, and are only in need of minor repairs. We do have one facility in the southern region which did see damage to the roof of the kitchen, dining room and to one of the dorms. The children were relocated safely to other dorms at the facility and we are now seeking to secure mattresses to replace those that got wet in that dormitory," she said. "A damage assessment is currently being undertaken, and we are making plans to have repairs effected as soon as possible."

Adams-Thomas noted that all CPFSA parish offices were okay with only minor damage at some locations. She also noted that the loss of electricity affecting various areas of the island was also impacting some facilities and CPFSA parish offices.

"But they (staff) are utilising other appropriate ways of coping until power is restored. Some of our parish offices are also without electricity, which may impact our level of efficiency in executing all the services we provide, but we should be back at full efficiency once power is restored," she said. Adams-Thomas shared that the 24/7 child abuse reporting hotline, 211, was also experiencing intermittent difficulty, and encouraged persons wanting to make child abuse reports to contact the CPFSA using two other phone numbers, 876-878-2882 and 876-822-7031.

"Child abuse reports can also be made via email at report@childprotection.gov.jm or through the CPFSA's social media pages on Instagram, Facebook, and X, @cpfsajm."