AS Guyana celebrates Independence Month, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is also observing International Month of Families and Foster Care Month, while highlighting the importance of safe, supportive and nurturing family environments for children.
The ministry is using the observance to remind citizens that love, stability and support are critical to shaping a child’s future, stressing that every child deserves a safe space where they feel valued and cared for.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, said families remain the foundation of every community and nation.
“When a family is meaningful and purposeful, it means that that family creates a safe space or an ecosystem of support, of love, of encouragement and motivation,” Dr Persaud said.
She encouraged families to use the month as an opportunity to strengthen communication and foster healthier relationships within households.
“I want to encourage you this month to talk more to each other, to speak with each other on subjects that can lead to each member of the family developing their potential and being all that they can be. Every family must be in a space of unconditional love,” the minister added.
Dr Persaud explained that family goes beyond simply living under the same roof, noting that homes should serve as sanctuaries where every member feels heard, supported and protected.
She also called on more persons to consider foster parenting, urging citizens to open their homes and hearts to children in need of care and stability during difficult periods in their lives.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security continues to advance initiatives aimed at improving child protection systems and strengthening family support services across Guyana.
In 2024, Dr Persaud commissioned the Guyana Central Authority on Fifth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown. The authority was established under the ministry to support implementation of the 1993 Hague Convention, to which Guyana became a contracting party in 2019.
The agency was created to strengthen safeguards surrounding adoption processes, promote family reunification and ensure the protection of children’s rights.
Additionally, in a move aimed at improving accountability and standards of care, the ministry last year granted Childcare Services Licences to nine foster homes across the country after they achieved full compliance with the Childcare and Protection Agency Act and the Minimum Standards for Residential Care Facilities.
The government is also expected to roll out further investments this year to improve childcare infrastructure and strengthen support systems for families through early childhood and family development programmes.
Plans are also underway to establish additional safe, child-friendly spaces where families can access recreational and educational services designed to support child development.
By 2028, the ministry aims to reduce unnecessary family separations, lessen reliance on institutional care, establish a reintegration unit, expand staffing and training, strengthen family capacities and develop a national child database.
