Santa Cruz

As a result of the undersubscription at the Junction Centre, in January 2013, an Outreach station was established in Santa Cruz.  Due to its location, the Santa Cruz Outreach became the main site for the girls as it is more accessible from a wide cross-section of St Elizabeth, and in some cases, the traveling expense is less than traveling to Junction. The Sharon Baptist Church Hall was utilized for several years to accommodate teen mothers for classes, counseling, meetings, and luncheons. The organization is indebted to the Sharon Baptist Church and the Powell family for their support throughout this period.  Though accommodating, this arrangement, however, was not sustainable.

There was an urgent need for a Center to be established in Santa Cruz to meet the needs of the many young ladies enrolled in the Programme for Adolescent Mothers (P.A.M.) in that area and its environs. Such a center would serve as a permanent home for the programme and a safe and non-threatening environment where the students, their babies, and staff would feel comfortable.

Approximately $36 million was spent constructing a new building to house the Santa Cruz Outreach. The facility opened on September 30, 2021, with two classrooms, a nursery, a kitchen, a dining facility, and an administrative block, this will strengthen the delivery of the WCJF’s Programme for Adolescent Mothers (PAM) and expand the Foundation’s activities in the parish of St. Elizabeth.  Manger, Ms. Donna Burton, secured several donations to assist with equipping the building.  The major one being a donation of furniture and equipment valued at $1.2 million JMD from the J/N Foundation.

Since gaining centre status, the Junction Centre and its outreach would have served over a hundred and eighty (180) girls within the parish of St. Elizabeth.