Our Caregivers: The Heartbeat of Mustard Seed Communities
At Mustard Seed Communities, hundreds of skilled and compassionate people provide loving and lifelong care for the most vulnerable.
We go out of our way to hire only the best individuals from local communities to tend to every unique need of the diverse population living in our homes. Then, we train them to provide excellent and intuitive care in a demanding environment. Without our caregivers, over 600 children and adults with disabilities would not know the promise that they are safe —
Be Part of Our Initiative to Support Caregivers
You can help solve a critical challenge at Mustard Seed Communities in Jamaica: our caregivers often leave their jobs in search of higher salaries.
You can help us make a holistic investment in the people who make care possible.
Right now, our caregivers make below a market wage. Over the next five years, we plan to systematically increase caregiver salaries.
“God places us here for a purpose.”
– Tameka, a seven-year veteran caregiver reflecting on Akeem’s journey.
Akeem’s resilience shines through his journey from a boys’ home to MSC — where now he has critical medical care for his seizure disorder. Akeem’s steadfast presence serves as a reminder of the divine purpose behind Tameka’s work: the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.
The Current Caregiver Crisis
Low Salary
Our caregivers currently make 33% below the average wage of caregivers in Jamaica. This is well-below a living wage and is not sustainable.
Global Shortage
We face a critical shortage of qualified caregivers. One of the main drivers is the global post-pandemic shortage of healthcare workers.
The Impact of Increased Caregiver Support
Increase our capacity to take in more children who were abandoned.
Hundreds of children with disabilities in Jamaica are on a waitlist for a home. Increased salaries will allow us to hire more caregivers and will encourage current caregivers to stay at MSC. With more caregivers and less turnover, we can enfold them under our loving care for life, extending them a covenant that we won’t let them be abandoned again.
Personalized care and emotional stability for Mustard Seed residents.
Caregivers become family for the people who live in our homes. Children who were abandoned form strong bonds with these nurturers — bonds that cause pain when they are broken because of turnover. Increased salaries will promote longevity at Mustard Seed Communities, freeing the caregiver and child to continue to build strong relationships that promote healthy ways of growing. When there is a consistent plan of care and reliable adults to form safe connections with, our residents flourish.
Empowered individuals who take pride in their employment.
When compensation aligns with the value an employee offers, that individual can own the importance of their position. Increased salaries will tangibly show caregivers just how important they are. Their hard work — changing diapers, installing feeding tubes, singing songs, and making an extraordinary difference in the lives of people with disabilities — will be acknowledged monetarily. This sense of agency has the power to change individuals and ripple out into the communities they live in.