…CPFSA tried to separate wards before pregnancy

THE Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) has confirmed that a 16-year-old ward of the State has been impregnated by another ward while in its care, noting that the agency had implemented several unsuccessful preventative measures to keep the two apart.

The revelation comes amid concerns from the teen’s aunt, whose name is being withheld to protect the child, who complained about a lack of communication from the CPFSA regarding her niece’s pregnancy, movements between childcare facilities, and the teen’s arrest while in State care.

In a detailed response to questions from the Jamaica Observer, the agency said the facility’s management at Maxfield Park Children’s Home in the Corporate Area had identified the developing relationship between the 16-year-old and the male ward, who is also 16 years old, but both teenagers repeatedly denied that they were involved.