—Education Minister affirms, says no child has been denied payment

MINISTER of Education Sonia Parag, on Tuesday, sought to reassure parents and guardians that every child listed on the register of a public or private school for the 2026–2027 academic year is entitled to receive the government’s “Because We Care” (BWC) cash grant.
In a Facebook statement, the minister said eligibility extends to every child who is registered to either begin or continue schooling during the upcoming academic year.
“Every single child on the school’s register in the public and private school systems will receive the BWC cash grant. That is, all those who are registered to begin or continue school for the 2026-2027 year,” she said.
Parag also disclosed that, based on records available to the Ministry of Education, no eligible child has been refused the grant.
The minister added, “Our records thus far reflect that no child who is found to be on a school’s register has been denied their cash grant.”
She urged parents and guardians seeking clarification about eligibility or payment issues to contact the Ministry of Education, stressing that it is the only authority responsible for administering the programme.
The clarification comes as the nationwide distribution of the “Because We Care” cash grant continues across schools throughout Guyana.
Under this year’s programme, each eligible child is receiving a $60,000 “Because We Care” cash grant, a $5,000 school uniform grant and the newly introduced $20,000 transportation grant, bringing the total assistance to $85,000 per child.
The government announced during the presentation of the 2026 National Budget that approximately 206,000 children enrolled in public and private schools are expected to benefit from the increased allocation.
The initiative is projected to inject an additional $2 billion into households, bringing the total value of transfers under the programme to an estimated $12.4 billion.
The “Because We Care” initiative was reintroduced by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration in 2020 and has been expanded annually through successive increases in the cash grant and the introduction of additional education support measures.
The programme is intended to assist parents and guardians with back-to-school expenses while improving access to education by helping families meet the cost of uniforms, transportation, stationery and other school-related necessities.
Distribution of the grants began on Monday and is continuing at schools nationwide in accordance with schedules established by the Ministry of Education.