— as Gov’t commissions $93.8M Day and Night Care and Early Childhood Development Centre
GUYANA’S first Day and Night Care and Early Childhood Development Centre was commissioned on Thursday, with President Dr. Irfaan Ali hailing the $93.8 million facility as a model for holistic child and family development that will be replicated nationwide.
“If you look at the facility itself, it’s about an environment that is conducive for the development of the children. It’s about their mental development. It’s about their skills development. It’s about their educational development,” President Ali told parents, educators and other stakeholders during the opening ceremony.
Constructed under the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the centre is designed as a hybrid model that integrates with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Guyana Police Force and other agencies. The government intends to establish similar centres countrywide across local neighbourhood democratic councils (NDC).
The aim is to create a connected ecosystem that provides continuous support throughout the life cycle of a child, while also identifying and addressing gaps in families and communities.
“An important aspect of this work is also to recognise gaps that exist within the society and within the family itself, so that we can help those families to overcome some of those gaps also, so that we are building through this facility stronger children, stronger families, stronger community and stronger country,” the President said.
The initiative also envisions the use of digitisation and artificial intelligence to track health and social indicators.
“Take, for example, the support in healthcare. We can now identify children who might be more at risk in their teenage or older age for diabetes or other conditions and start educating those children, educating them, maybe helping them with lifestyle changes that would create healthier adults and a healthier population down the road,” Ali explained.
In the coming years, the government plans to construct similar centres across Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), with integration into churches, mosques, and temples. The centres will be coupled with other policies promoting healthy family life, education, skills training, and poverty reduction.
“One of the things that we’re going to invest heavily in in the next five years is an ecosystem to support the full economic empowerment and deployment of every individual in our country,” Ali stated, adding that thousands of part-time workers under the National Pathway Workers Programme will be upskilled to work in these facilities.
The President stressed that investments in infrastructure, treated water, roads, drainage, and disease prevention are directly tied to strengthening families.
“Every time we invest in giving you treated water, every time we invest in giving you a better road, giving you better drainage, reduce the risk of malaria, reduce the risk of typhoid, reduce the risk of dengue, all those investments help in family development,” he said.
MENTAL HEALTH, EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Meanwhile, Human Services and Social Security Minister, Vindhya Persaud described the centre as the first of its kind in Guyana and said it was conceptualised with the country’s expanding economy and growing needs in mind.
“It has really been conceptualised, looking at our expanding economy, looking at our growing needs, and looking at how we can holistically and comprehensively work towards the benefit of our youngest and most valuable treasures in our country, and by extension, their parents and families,” she said.
“It blends the kind of concept that globally, we are working on as a world to ensure that every child is safe and cared for.”
Minister Persaud added the importance of catering to children’s mental health, emotional development, and inclusivity, especially for those with special needs.
“We understand that families are the bedrock of the nation and if we really want to develop social transformation, we must work too on developing the psychology and the psyche of the families to understand what it is to bond with children, to understand what it is to care for children, and because we believe in inclusivity and accessibility, children with multiple needs, including children with special needs,” the Minister said.
Another facility will be built in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) to the tune of $94 million and will provide services free of charge.
