This Child Month, the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI), in partnership with UNICEF Jamaica, will publicly launch Room for Improvement: The Gap Between Public Spending and Child Outcomes in Jamaica — the first comprehensive, evidence-based analysis of how Jamaica's national budget is allocated and spent on children.
Drawing on nine fiscal years of data from 2017/18 to 2025/26, the report examines public expenditure across eight sectors — education, health, social protection, child protection, nutrition, public safety, housing, and recreation — and assesses whether Jamaica's stated commitments to its children are being matched by traceable budget allocations and measurable outcomes.
The launch event will take place on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at Wolmer's Boys' School Auditorium.