Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation

The Women’s Centre Programme for Adolescent Mothers was established in 1978 in response to the high level of teenage pregnancy experienced by the country. In 1991, the Programme gained Foundation status, thus being named the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF). The organization operates as a Limited Liability Company under the auspices of a government ministry; presently the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport. Initially, there was one centre located at 42 Trafalgar Road, Kingston 10. The Foundation has since expanded to include 7 main centres and 11 outreach stations, island wide.
Outreach stations operate under the supervision of the main centre, and usually, do not deliver the full slate of the activities of the Programme for Adolescent Mothers. Steps are currently being taken to remedy this inequity. Nonetheless, the island-wide expanse of the WCJF locations ensures ease of access to either the main centre or its outreach station, which is usually in the adjoining parish.
The Foundation offers the following services through its main centres and outreach stations:
1. Continuing education for adolescent mothers 17 years and under
2. Counselling for “baby fathers”, their parents and parents of adolescent mothers
3. Day Care facilities for (i) babies of adolescent mothers and (ii) babies of working mothers
4. “Walk-in” counselling service for women and men of all ages
5. Peer Counselling training for in-school youths
6. Counselling for clients in the Child Diversion Programme
The Programme for Adolescent Mothers is the core of the activities of the Foundation. The mandate of the WCJF, therefore, is to provide continuing education for girls who drop out of school on account of pregnancy. Since inception, the WCJF has assisted 46,989 adolescent mothers.