Ten daycare owners from across Guyana have received $200,000 cash grants to upgrade their facilities into Centres of Excellence to provide safer, higher-quality learning environments for children.
The grants were presented under the Childcare and Protection Agency’s Enhancement of Childcare and Early Learning Facilities initiative during the second National Early Childhood Development Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Wednesday.
Owner of Rainbow Daycare, Munirah Reedon, said the funding will help the centre continue its goal of becoming an exceptional learning environment.
“I think it is very beneficial. It will help schools, especially mine, because we are trying to build an exceptional learning centre, and with this grant we will be able to purchase some of the things we do not have,” she told the Department of Public Information (DPI).
Abiola Walls, owner of Heavenly Sunlight Daycare, said the funding will be used to replace damaged items and purchase additional equipment, toys and furniture.
“I am very grateful, and my school will benefit tremendously from it,” she said.
Visibly excited, Onica Peters-Fraser of Fraser Foundation described the grant as a timely investment in improving childcare services.
“I am elated. I am overjoyed,” she said. “I feel that the governing body has our interest at heart, and I can assure you it is going to go towards making our centre a whole lot more child-friendly.”
DPI also caught up with proprietor of Kiddies Treasure, Junice Welcome, who said: “It is a great initiative for the daycares, and it will come in handy for whatever it is set out to do.”
Not only is the government upgrading daycare facilities to Centres of Excellence, but working parents are also benefitting from the childcare subsidy programme.
Under the programme, parents whose children are enrolled in registered and licensed childcare centres can receive a subsidy for the first three months after the child is placed at the facility. So far, 460 parents have collectively benefitted from $25 million in assistance.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud noted that the government has so far licensed 352 childcare facilities and registered 376 centres nationwide to ensure they meet the required standards.
Guyana now has 25 Centres of Excellence while 100 daycare operators have collectively received $10 million in grants to help improve their facilities.