Human Services Ministry drafts 3 key legislative reforms for 2025

…to focus on early childhood development, gender inclusion, child care reunification

Three drafted legislations have been set in place for 2025 by the Human Services and Social Security Ministry, focusing on early childhood development, gender inclusion, and child care reunification.

In 2024, five legislative pieces were drafted, which spun around the Family Violence Bill and the Hague Convention for Child Protection.
This information was revealed by the Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud when asked by Member of Parliament Natasha Singh Lewis during the budget consideration of estimates and expenditure.
“I noticed that the budget document says that five legislative pieces were drafted in 2024 and two are expected to be done in 2025. Could the Minister tell us the other three drafted? And when would we expect to see them here?” Lewis questioned.
In response, the Minister mentioned that the legislative pieces already drafted include the Gender-Based Violence Policy and its accompanying framework, the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Policy and its curriculum, along with all its accompanying elements.
“We are placing emphasis on early childhood development, so this is a policy we are very invested in, and we have put a lot of work into developing it with the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), the Early Childhood and Development (ECD) Unit. We had support from UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) on this, and this policy will strategically focus the Ministry’s attention on ECD,” the Minister stated.
According to her, this will guide their work in two buildings that will be opened this year—day and night care centres with early childhood units.
“That is a novel achievement. It’s the first time this is going to happen anywhere in the region.
“She added, “We’re also looking on the child care at the reunification reintegration policy for children, as I had mentioned in the debates. This is important because we are not against institutionalisation, but we want to reduce that. So, we’re looking at how more children can be reintegrated, reunified.”
Meanwhile, she explained the move to draft policies surrounding gender. “The other policy that we are looking at is the policy on gender. There has been a social inclusion and gender-based policy that we have reviewed, and we have conducted a literature review. That is in the works to develop a more comprehensive gender policy going forward.”
She also explained the focus on the draft for childcare policies.
“We’re also looking at the reunification and reintegration policy for children, as I had mentioned in the debates. This is important because we are not against institutionalisation, but we want to reduce it, so we’re exploring how more children can be reintegrated and reunified. We’re also looking at the Home-Based Care Policy.”
According to her, this is being done because one of their key objectives is to encourage women to start their own daycare, night care, early childhood businesses, and other enterprises. “So this is a very important step in the work that we are going to do.”
She added, “We have also worked on a number of other areas. One of the key areas I’d like to focus on this year is the Policy on Aging, the Policy on Care, to name a few.” (G2)