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Children’s home food bill skyrockets

Published:Sunday | May 17, 2020 | 8:35 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
Zavia Mayne (right), state minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, hands over clothing, food, toiletries and other supplies to Rosalee Gage-Grey, chief executive officer of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency, during a ceremony at the Glenhope Place of Safety in Kingston on Tuesday. Looking on is Colette Roberts-Risden, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
Zavia Mayne (right), state minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, hands over clothing, food, toiletries and other supplies to Rosalee Gage-Grey, chief executive officer of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency, during a ceremony at the Glenhope Place of Safety in Kingston on Tuesday. Looking on is Colette Roberts-Risden, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

FOOD BILLS across Jamaica’s 50 children’s homes and places of safety have increased since schools shuttered on March 13 amid the local spread of COVID-19, forcing wards to be home full time.

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) operates and monitors the homes, nine of which are run directly by the Government.

“A home’s food bill could be anywhere between $300,000 and $700,000. For the bigger homes, it could go up to a million dollars, depending on what we have to buy,” said Chief Executive Officer of the CPFSA Rosalee Gage-Grey.

Approximately 2,000 Jamaican children, ranging from zero to 18 years, are wards of the state.

“It has shifted because instead of giving the children money to go to school, they have to provide the meals. Typically, we say in the residential homes as per policy, they get three meals, plus two snacks and so that has brought some pressure to the facilities to provide that, but with the support that we are getting, we have not had a fallout,” she explained.

Under normal circumstances, homes are required to have an excess of two weeks’ supply of food, but they have since been asked to have a month’s supply.

“In the event that there is a lockdown, they will have supply for at least a month … We did a physical check [last week] and most have reported that they are not having an issue with food, but the demand to purchase and get additional supplies is always a challenge,” she explained.

Last week Tuesday, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security donated food items, toiletries and stationery valued at $1.2 million to cushion the impact of the increased food cost.

Permanent Secretary in the labour ministry, Colette Roberts-Risden, said it was a part of the continued thrust to assist the most vulnerable Jamaicans.

She added that the items are a combination of donations received from Food The Poor, Seprod, among other companies and items purchased by the ministry.

In expressing thanks, Gage-Grey noted that the donations are “very critical” at this time because the children are all at home.

She added that though the presentation was made to Glenhope Nursery and Place of Safety in Kingston, it will be shared among all facilities, both Government and private.

“It is always good to give support, especially to our private homes. In our own efforts, we have donated probably over $20 million worth of cash and resources to our private homes,” she said, adding that they were first given funds for sanitisation and then for food.

The CPFSA has also received fresh fruits and vegetables through the agriculture ministry and continues to receive support from private sector partners.

judana.murphy@gleanerjm.com