Letter of the Day | Every child deserves a family

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I was elated to read the news item in The Gleaner, ‘Int’l experts to help fix adoption gaps’, and that Jamaica is moving to strengthen its adoption and foster-care systems with the assistance of international expertise.

I commend the Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr Dana Morris Dixon, for recognising the need to address the legislative and administrative gaps that have hindered the system for too long.

The Caribbean Policy Research Institute’s (CAPRI) recent Home Advantage study reports that approximately 4,500 children are in state care, and more than 150 approved prospective adopters are waiting, many for several years. Official figures show that, of the 110 children adopted in Jamaica in 2025, only 19 were wards of the State. CAPRI also reports that even newborns abandoned at birth may wait, on average, two years to be placed with adoptive families.

Behind those numbers are children whose lives continue while the system moves slowly. Attorney-at-law and adoptive parent Gavin Goffe has publicly recounted spending approximately six years in the adoption process. Six years is a significant portion of a childhood.

Reform, however, cannot be limited to legislation and procedures. We must invest in the people who do this difficult work. CAPRI identifies staffing shortages and administrative overload as significant contributors to delays and recommends strengthening the complement of social workers and other child-protection personnel. More social workers, counsellors and other professionals are needed, with manageable caseloads and the resources necessary to serve children and families effectively.

We should also continually review the remuneration, working conditions, professional support and opportunities for development available to these workers. We cannot expect professionals carrying the emotional and administrative weight of protecting vulnerable children to do more and more with inadequate support.

The Church can also play a critical role. With congregations in communities across Jamaica, we have families who can foster and adopt, professionals who can provide counselling and other support, and communities of faith capable of walking alongside vulnerable children and families.

James 1:27 reminds us that pure religion includes caring for “orphans and widows in their distress”. This is more than a call to compassion; it is a call to responsibility.

Every child deserves safety, permanence, belonging and, wherever possible, a family to call home.

REV DR ROY NOTICE

Bishop of the New Testament

Church of God