Photo: Podium, Mr. Adawi Aiken, Member CDC Children’s Advisory Panel; seated: Mr. Xaundre Mohansingh, Youth Mayor Clarendon; Ms. Sanchia Ellis, Manager The Fathers House CDA; Dr. Priya Anaokar, Project Coordinator, CCDC, UWI Global Campus; Mr. Damian Harris, Operations Officer, Sterling Assets Management Ltd. And Ms. Claudine Bailey, Attorney at Law, Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce at the session “Transitioning out of Care and what it means for you” held on August 25, 2015 at the Jamaica Conference Centre.
Dr. Priya Anaokar, Project Coordinator for CCDC’s Transitional Living Programme for Children in State Care (TLP-CSC) Project, was one of the invited panellists at the recently held Children’s Summit on August 25, 2015 at the Jamaica Conference Centre. Dr. Anaokar presented on the TLP-CSC project during the panel session entitled “Transitioning out of Care and what it means for you”.
Dr. Anaokar informed the youth delegates present about the goals and objectives of the TLP-CSC project, which aims to improve their preparation for the transition to independent living once they leave residential care. The programme will include a life skills training component as well as vocational skills training which is being offered by the HEART Trust/NTA. The TLP-CSC aims to improve the transition to independent living for Jamaican youth leaving residential care at 18 years, and reduce the risk factors such as unemployment, involvement in crime, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, low education or job skills, inadequate life skills and poor self-image. This three year exit-readiness programme includes life skills training, job skills training, mentoring and the creation of a safe and appropriate transitional living facility for 40 females. The project was launched in October, 2014 and implemented under a US$1,388,000 grant from The US Agency for International Development Grants initiative (USAID).
Dr. Anaokar was joined by other panellists which included Ms. Sanchia Ellis, Manager of The Father’s House Transitional Facility in Montego Bay, St. James as well as former CDA wards who have gone on to excel in their fields of endeavour- Ms. Claudine Bailey (Attorney-at-Law: Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Jamaica), Mr. Damian Harris (Operations Officer-Sterling Asset Management Ltd), and Mr. Treneil Lowe (not pictured) (Student, University of Technology). The other panellists encouraged the youths present to utilize some of the initiatives offered by the CDA to help them successfully transition out of care.
