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Hundreds of parents sign up for positive parenting intervention programme

Published:Saturday | June 25, 2022 | 12:09 AM
Major Richard Cooke (standing second left), president, Joy Town Community Development Foundation, congratulates Lemarno Kemp, a father in Denham Town, on registering for the foundation’s upcoming Positive Parenting for Advancement (P2A) project. Looking
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Major Richard Cooke (standing second left), president, Joy Town Community Development Foundation, congratulates Lemarno Kemp, a father in Denham Town, on registering for the foundation’s upcoming Positive Parenting for Advancement (P2A) project. Looking on (from second left standing) are Dellon Gayle, president, Denham Town CDC; Courtney Brown, deputy chief of party, Democracy International. Seated in front is Suwayne Trowers, project officer, P2A.

A one-year social intervention programme for parents of Denham Town, Jones Town and Hannah Town, organised by the Joy Town Community Development Foundation, has seen over 200 parents sign up to participate in the Positive Parenting for Advancement (P2A) project beginning next month. The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through Democracy International under its Positive Pathways Activity in Jamaica.

The foundation recently held a series of social services and recruitment fairs in each of the three communities to introduce the programme to mothers and fathers who desire to work together for better family life and empowered children, resulting in reduced family and community violence.

“I believe that God is turning the hearts of the fathers back to the children and the hearts of the children back to the fathers. So Joy Town is happy to be able to help facilitate this through our Positive Parenting for Advancement programme,” said Major Richard Cooke, founder and president of the Joy Town Community Development Foundation.

He said three fairs held in Denham Town, Hannah Town and Jones Town over the past few weeks received very good support from residents, community leaders and political representatives, with residents visiting the booths of the various government agencies at each fair to benefit from the immediate turnaround services offered on spot.

For 21 years, the Joy Town Community Development Foundation has been working to help transform inner-city communities into peaceful, productive and law-abiding ones through community development, education and training, promotion of economic activity and healthy lifestyles.

The Positive Parenting for Advancement project aims to reduce negative parenting practices and the stress caused by a lack of resources. The project is expected to equip parents to raise children prone to pro-social behaviour, reject violence as a means of conflict resolution, and become more productive contributors to family and society.

It is supported by the National Health Fund, the National Insurance Scheme, Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education, Registrar General’s Department, COK Sodality Co-operative Credit Union, Best Dressed Chicken, Jamaican Teas and Continental Baking Company (National).