Gov’t Increases Support to Early-Childhood Institutions

The Government will be increasing its support to privately run early-childhood institutions in the 2019/2020 fiscal year.

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says that $346 million has been allocated to cover the provision of stipend, nutritional support, school materials and training.

“This is an increase for the early-childhood sector,” he said while addressing the official reopening of the Liberty Hill Infant School in the community of Dumbarton in Discovery Bay, St. Ann, on Wednesday (February 20).

He noted, further, that $43 million has been provided to the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) to cover fees for institutions to renew their food-handler’s permits and police records.

“All the practitioners, when they are ready for the renewal of these permits, they will be funded by the ECC, on the condition that they are from registered institutions,” Senator Reid said.

“I am going to put a little caveat on it to make sure they have at least a two-year contract. I do not want us to give them a waiver and they are temporary institutions,” he added.

He noted that Liberty Hill Infant School will benefit from the provision.

The institution, which was destroyed by fire in 2014, was rebuilt through $22.2 million in funding from the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund.

The school is the first in the island to be certified by the ECC upon reopening.