AS a means of giving back to persons working above and beyond their call of duty during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, on Wednesday, announced the launch of their $15,000 child care subsidy for essential workers. According to a statement released by the ministry, the parents of children seven years or younger will receive a subsidy of $15,000, which can be utilised at any licensed day care or night care 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 of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, was quoted as saying in the statement from the ministry.
Further, the minister said: “These individuals are salesgirls in supermarkets, persons cleaning schools, and doing many other jobs on which the spotlight is not conventionally placed.

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 day care centres, who are not licensed, to become licensed so that more persons can benefit from the services.” It was stated, too, that the subsidy will also come in handy for persons who are working at and below minimum wages, and at night, who may need a safe place for their child or children. “We have recognised 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 will be paid directly to the care facility every month, 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 13:00hrs to 16:30hrs.