By Celestine Chacon | January 21, 2025
The 2025 national budget has earmarked $1.3 billion to enhance care facilities and create safe spaces for children, with a special focus on supporting working parents and single parents.
This funding will facilitate the establishment of essential infrastructure aimed at providing secure environments for children while their parents work.
The allocation will support the completion of two new Day and Night Care Centers, one in Anna Catherina on the West Coast of Demerara, and another at Providence on the East Bank of Demerara.
Additionally, a new Early Childhood Development Centre will be completed in Diamond, improving access to early childhood education and care.
Dr. Vindhya Persaud, the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, discussed the significance of these measures in an episode of “Budget in Focus.”
She emphasized that these initiatives would allow parents, particularly women, to balance their professional responsibilities with family life.
Dr. Persaud explained, “These are very impactful measures because now, a lady who wants to take on a regular job or work overtime can do so, knowing that her child or children are in a safe, secure place, with added benefits such as tax relief.”
In 2024, over 3,800 individuals were trained in childcare services, and 50 received grants of $100,000 each to establish or expand their care facilities.
For 2025, the government plans to train an additional 4,000 individuals and provide grants to another 50 to support the growth of childcare services.
Dr. Persaud noted that the 2025 budget not only reflects on past accomplishments but also sets the stage for future developments, ensuring the fulfillment of the government’s manifesto commitments, particularly in creating a more inclusive society.