JAMAICA HAS been selected as the site of a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) workshop on 'The Integrated Approach to Early Childhood', to be held August 25-29 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
Dr. Kerida McDonald, specialist on Early Childhood Development with UNICEF Jamaica, said the country was selected to host the global meeting because of the international recognition it has received for its integrated national policy development, inter-sectoral institutional structures and programmes, parenting support and community involvement.
About 23 early childhood experts from UNICEF headquarters, New York, Canada, Switzerland, Panama and Nicaragua, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Tanzania are expected to participate in the workshop, being hosted by the UNICEF Jamaica office. Using 'The Best Start In Life' as their guiding principle, the group will concentrate on the finalisation of a staff training resource pack on the integrated approach to early childhood, to promote both child survival and thriving.
As part of the global meeting, UNICEF Jamaica will brief the experts on its support to the integrated early childhood programme. This include the Early Childhood Commission, the national early childhood training and certification system, the national early childhood monitoring system, the national breastfeeding programme, the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS, the Coalition for Better Parenting and the Pre-Primary to Primary School Transition Project.
The group will also be taken on a field trip to the St. Catherine Early Childhood Resource Centre and the Home Visiting Programme in St. Catherine.
