Govt’s $1.2B community care centres.. Over 700 already registered for co-investment opportunities 

As the Government prepares to roll out its co-investment initiative for care centres across the country, Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud has revealed that more than 700 individuals and organisations have already registered to participate in the programme. She made the revelation on Wednesday during the second National Early Childhood Development Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) under the theme “It Takes a Village: Uniting Hearts and Minds for Early Childhood”. Some 718 of the applications came from individuals, while the other submissions came from groups.
“If you have not yet registered, what are you waiting for…?” the Minister said, noting that anyone can apply. “NGOs [non-Governmental organisations], faith-based organisations, and persons who want to form a group in their community can also apply,” she said. In fact, the Minister pointed out the Government has set aside over $1 billion to invest in this initiative.

“The Government of Guyana has invested $1.2 billion towards this initiative to ensure that in communities across all the regions of Guyana, there will be home and community-based care centres… we’re co-investing with you; if you have a space, we’re going to help you ensure that that space is safe and ready for children,” she noted.
“We can help you to furnish and equip it; we can help you to have the technical support you need to start, sustain and expand, and we definitely want to see you provide affordable care to the parents who will come to you,” she added. In addition to improving access to affordable care services, the programme is intended to generate employment and strengthen economic opportunities, particularly for women.
“This will ensure that fathers, mothers, parents can go out there and contribute to the growing economy of Guyana,” Minister Persaud noted. In addition to co-investment financing, successful participants will receive free training in childcare and elderly care, business mentorship, and technical assistance to establish and operate safe, sustainable care facilities. Applications remain open and can be submitted by scanning the programme’s registration QR code or by emailing the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security at [email protected].
Persaud had announced in April that the Government will be conducting countrywide outreaches to identify ideal areas for this programme.
“I’ll be going on all of them to let women know directly, okay, we’re coming to your community. This is what we’re looking at. Does your community have what is required, and is that their need? Do you have people who are going out there to work? Do you have the kind of influx of children in that community? Are you close to an existing centre? So, all of those things are very important in the process going forward,” Dr Persaud had noted during the Starting Point programme.