Final distribution of “Because We Care” grant set for Thursday

Parents who were unable to uplift the “Because We Care” cash grant during the scheduled distribution period will have a chance to do so on Thursday, July 13.
The Education Ministry has notified that the grants will be issued at the respective Departments of Education in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), East Bank and East Coast for Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). For Georgetown, the distribution will be done at the Queen’s College auditorium.
All grants are to be uplifted between 09:00h and 17:00h on the aforementioned date. The $40,000 cash grant sees children registered in nursery, primary, and secondary public and private schools receiving a $35,000 grant, together with $5000 for school uniforms and other supplies.
The grant can be uplifted by parents or guardians with a valid form of identification. It was reported on June 9, that 90 per cent of the grants were distributed across the country.
Any child attending a private or public school, from the nursery level all the way up to the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level, is able to receive this grant. Pupils entering nursery school this year must have been registered by April 14 to be eligible.
In 2021, Government reintroduced the cash grant distribution for school-aged children, as per its manifesto promise. The distributions at that time saw each child benefitting from $19,000 — $15,000 from the “Because We Care” grant and $4000 from their uniform vouchers.
In 2022, the Government increased the “Because We Care” cash grant amount from $15,000 to $25,000, and the uniform voucher from $4000 to $5000. This meant that each child went from receiving $19,000, to $30,000.
This year, more than 214,000 children were eligible to receive the grant. This equates to some $8.6 billion in disposable income being made available to families nationwide.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand had noted that the $40,000 cash grant comes as a promise made by the Irfaan-Ali-led Administration and added that before the end of the Government’s five-year tenure, the targeted distribution amount is $50,000 the least.