While educators work tirelessly to mould the minds of the nation’s children, many, especially young women, are forced to delay their aspirations to care for their families due to an absence of adequate childcare.
According to President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, this pressing issue has been a recurring theme in recent conversations with teachers.
“We are postponing our family life. We are postponing building our own family,” President Ali recounted from his interactions with teachers over the past three months. “They cannot come up with a formula through which they can take care of their babies and children whilst they’re in school,”
To address this, the president announced the government’s intention to make targeted investments in childcare and child-friendly centres nationwide. This initiative, he said, will empower teachers to pursue their careers without sacrificing key aspects of a fulfilling personal life.
“We have decided that as we confront this challenge, not only for teachers but for young professionals, we have to make a series of investments across the country in childcare facilities,” President Ali said while speaking at the commissioning of the Christ Church Secondary School on Thursday.
This commitment builds upon the government’s ongoing drive to have 100 per cent of teachers trained or in training by year-end, President Ali asserted.
It is further incentivised by allowances and opportunities for advanced degrees, ensuring that investment in educators translates directly into a brighter future for every Guyanese child.
Earlier this year, the president announced a similar initiative for healthcare workers.
The government is actively investing in initiatives to expand access to quality childcare and support working parents. Currently, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security offers a $50,000 childcare subsidy to employed parents through its Working Parents Child Care Subsidy initiative.
In June of this year, early childhood centres in five regions received $200,000 grants to upgrade their facilities and improve childcare standards nationwide.
To foster independent, home-based childcare services, 50 individuals who recently graduated from the ministry’s Early Childhood Development Course received a $100,000 grant each to establish new childcare options within their communities.
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