Organization: Jamaican Ministry of Education, Youth & Information
Country: Jamaica
Education level: Early Childhood, Primary, Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary
Organization type: Government
Family involvement: Providing Information
Overview
The National Parenting Support Commission is an agency of the Jamaican Ministry of Education, Youth and Information dedicated to supporting parents and increasing their involvement in schools. In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NPSC responded to reports of heightened stress and responsibility among parents by establishing a network of parent helplines in collaboration with the Victoria Mutual Foundation, UNICEF, and Fight for Peace (UNICEF, 2020). These helplines are staffed by men and women trained in psychosocial first aid. They work to help parents through the psychological and practical challenges posed by school closures and remote learning. Helpline operators listen to the issues parents are facing, provide emotional support and guidance, and direct parents who call in toward resources on everything from learning continuity to food insecurity.
In all, 36 helplines were established across the country, typically two per parish (Jamaican Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, n.d.). These parent helplines were established because the National Parenting Support Commission believes that student learning is intrinsically tied to parents’ capacity to support students. In order to provide this support, the commission understands that parents must be mentally and emotionally healthy. The parent helplines provide psychological aid and practical support for parents during a critically difficult period, allowing parents to be there for their children in turn.
Testimonials
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“This is not a figment of our imagination, persons are feeling pressured from all sides, and parents, being (mostly) non-technical people, are just trying to do the best job (they can). They also need avenues where they can filter through and try to understand what is happening, how they are feeling, how they are coping and how they are processing the information that they are now bombarded with.” – Kaysia Kerr, chief executive officer of the National Parenting Support Commission (Jamaican Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, n.d.)
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“Trying to work from home, and trying to protect us from COVID-19, it has been a lot, so I am really grateful to the Parenting Commission for opening these helplines, because anything at this time can be good for us parents.” – Shantel Williams, single mother from Westmoreland, Jamaica (Jamaican Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, n.d.)
References
Jamaican Ministry of Education, Youth and Information. (n.d.). NPSC establishes 36 helplines to assist parents. https://moey.gov.jm/npsc-establishes-36-helplines-assist-parents
UNICEF. (2020, April 7). NPSC launches parent support helplines amid COVID-19 crisis [Press release]. https://www.unicef.org/jamaica/press-releases/npsc-launches-parent-support-helplines-amid-covid-19-crisis