Blogs & Articles

Kingston, Jamaica (30 July, 2026) - Seventeen vocational trainees from the Zion community in Trelawny are now braid stylists after successfully completing the Children First Agency (CFA) Skills for Upliftment Project six-week training programme, culminating in a graduation ceremony at the Holland High School on June 20, 2026. The programme was designed to equip participants with a skill, preparing them for employment opportunities, self-employment, and entrepreneurship within

Kingston, Jamaica (29 Jul, 2026) - The administration of the William Knibb Memorial High School in Trelawny is reporting great influence on the grade ten student participants of the Children First Agency's (CFA) psychosocial support programme. The recently concluded activity which ran for six weeks, reaching 125 students, is a part of the Skills for Upliftment Project in partnership with Food for the Poor Jamaica. Executive Director of the Children First Agency, Claudette Ric

We’ve all dealt with disasters. Whether it's an important day going terribly wrong, or a pandemic like COVID-19, we face various disasters throughout our lives, sometimes at no fault of our own. For example, as a nation we recently endured the catastrophe of Hurricane Melissa. Much work has been done to restore homes, crops, roads and businesses but equally important is rehabilitating the people. So, how can we provide long-term support for families who were affected? We had

Children First Agency and UNICEF join forces to Support Parents ahead of Child Month Parents and caregivers in Bartons and Newton, St. Elizabeth say they are feeling more confident, supported, and hopeful after participating in a recent parenting session hosted by the Children First Agency (CFA) in partnership with UNICEF Jamaica. Many described the workshop as a much-needed space to reconnect, share openly, and gain practical tools to help them nurture their children while r

If you’ve noticed changes in your child’s behaviour since the Hurricane hit, it may be signs of trauma - an emotional response to a stressful event. The Children First Agency (CFA) consulted Clinical Psychologist Jesutofunmi Simpson on the impact of disaster, and it was revealed that “ traumatic experiences have the ability to change the way the brain looks and works ”. This is especially concerning for children as they are still undergoing development and are likely unable t

Homelessness, job loss, food insecurity, disrupted water supply, and illnesses are all factors affecting countless residents within the parishes of St. Elizabeth, St. James, and Manchester in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Thousands of donations have been made towards the fulfillment of daily needs but what about the mind, and what about the children? While caregivers bear the burden of responsibility, the trauma of enduring a natural disaster that upsets one's reality i

If you're familiar with dandy shandy, bat up and ketch, “skimage” football, chiney skip, or hopscotch, it likely means that you had the privilege of play as a child growing up in Jamaica. If not these, maybe you can recall building blocks, play dough or even hoola hoops. In any case, play was not only something enjoyed by many children but it was key to formative and adolescent years. This remains true. Play is a right and not a luxury. In fact, play deprivation has proven to

The SO-JUST Betta Project, led by Children First Agency and funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Ministry...

'So Just' Project Launch at Jamaica Pegasus Hotel (February 20) The 'So Just' Project, is a social justice initiative, emanating from a...