Children with learning disabilities, especially those living in the northern parishes, stand to benefit from a new facility opened by the Mico University College.

On Thursday, Mico opened its new Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) centre on Royes Street in St Ann's Bay, St Ann.

This is the third such facility opened in Jamaica by Mico.

In 1980, the university set up the first facility in Kingston; this was followed some years later with the opening of its first rural branch in Mandeville, Manchester.

modern complex

The latest Mico CARE centre, previously housed on the premises of the Beth Jacobs clinic along King Street in St Ann's Bay, since it opened in 1997, has outgrown that location, which necessitated the construction of a new and more modern complex.

The centre will offer diagnostic and therapeutic intervention services for children with special needs.

It will also provide specialised support and education for parents, teachers and other caregivers.

The services offered are in the areas of psychology, education, social work, speech and language, medical, occupational therapy, prescriptive training, and seminars and workshops for parent and teacher training.

main functions

The main functions of the centre include: diagnostic and remedial education of children with learning problems, providing clinical practice for students in the teacher training programme in special education at Mico University College; fostering and facilitating research in special education, educating the public on all aspects of special education, upgrading teaching skills of classroom teachers in primary and secondary schools through workshops, among other functions.

Mico University College drew praise for the new facility from education minister Andrew Holness and other speakers at the opening.

Holness expressed what he said was his "deep gratitude" for the centre. He pledged the support of the government in assisting the effort of Mico CARE, committing to start the process of providing similar facilities across the island, beginning in Montego Bay and Portmore.