Human Services Ministry launches $15,000 child care subsidy for essential workers

As a way of giving back to persons who are working above and beyond the call of duty, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has launched the $15,000 child care subsidy for essential workers.

This means that a child who is seven years old and younger and who is attending a licensed daycare or night care facility will able to benefit from the facility.

“We’ve recognised that some workers have been working throughout the pandemic even though they may not be seen as conventional frontline workers,” Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud has observed.

These individuals may be sales girls in supermarkets; persons cleaning schools and doing many other jobs for which much attention is not usually paid to.

“We are starting in this small way to give back to them some help at this point, and while this is going on, we are working with daycare centers who are not licensed to become licensed so that more persons can benefit from the services,” Minister Persaud informed.

The subsidy will also come in handy for persons who are working at and below minimum wages and at night need a safe place for their child or children. “We recognized this so this service will be of benefit to them,” Minister Persaud noted, adding, “We are conscious of the need for safe environments for children and that many parents cannot afford this.”

The $15,000 subsidy grant will be paid directly to the care facility monthly, for up to three months per child.

Applications can be accessed and submitted online and hard copies to be filled out can be obtained at the ministry’s central and regional offices. The closing date for applications is August 9, 2021.

The list of essential workers include junior ranks of the Joint Services, frontline health workers, domestic workers, security guards, sales clerks, and vendors.

For more information, persons can call 223 1745, Mondays to Fridays, from 13:00 to 16:30 hours. (Human Services Ministry press release)