The PPP/Cs childcare development policy omits critical elements and will have no meaningful impact

Jul 31, 2025 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – After being in government for 28 of the last 33 years, the PPP/C has finally birthed, just under five weeks before the elections, what the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MHSSS) calls a “Childhood Development Policy”. The Ministry’s press release on the event does not point the public to where a copy of the policy document is posted – and, likely, it is not in the public domain.

Nevertheless, the release (which includes quotes from the Minister) gives us a good sense of the policy framework. Our view is that the ministry’s framework is limited, disjointed, and devoid of quantified goals and performance targets. We see no mention of a situation analysis of the current childhood care and development landscape. This is a glaring omission given that Guyana ranks poorly on several critical measures of infant/childhood and maternal health and well-being, such as maternal mortality, low birth weight, preterm births, under-five mortality, child poverty, under-five malnutrition and stunting, and female mental health.

Additionally, we see no comprehensive measures to address the fact that Guyana ranks poorly in female participation in the workforce, paid maternity or parental leave, formalization of caregiver services, and parent-friendly workplaces.

A proper childhood development policy must be sweeping and integrated in its design. It must provide support, scope, and choices for women and mothers (from early pregnancy). It must also fully encompass parents in general, the children themselves (from the womb), household and work spaces, the social protection system, the social services system, and the entire childcare support infrastructure.

Let us recall that nearly three years ago, on 22 November 2022, the PNCR/APNU published a policy brief on Early Childhood Care and Education in which we emphasized the need for such a comprehensive approach. Our then-stated goals included: (i) stronger and happier mothers and families, (ii) a more caring and stable society; (iii) greater social justice through gender parity or equity and female empowerment; (iv) better socially-adjusted children—who are less likely to engage in deviant and criminal behaviors as they age; and (v) greater female participation in the workforce and higher productivity from female workers. We still fully endorse the position that “to have strong, healthy children, you need strong, healthy families. To have strong, healthy families, you need strong, healthy parents.”

As the next government, the concrete measures we intend to implement include:

providing top-quality health care and wellbeing support for mothers and children throughout pregnancy (prenatal) and in the early years of the child (post-natal);

upgrading the current paid 13-week maternity leave into a scheme that is longer, more generous, and allows both parents to participate.

implementing comprehensive free and high-quality early childhood education and care services for families on demand.

improving the wages and working conditions of caregivers.

promoting flexible working conditions and supportive workplaces.

paying a childcare allowance of $120,000/ year to each child under 18 years and an additional nutrition voucher for those under the age of five, regardless if their parents are in the tax system or not.

recognizing and valuing unpaid care and domestic work.

In our first year in office, the APNU Coalition will release a comprehensive childhood care and education policy for public discussion and input. By the end of our first term in office, we will make Guyana one of the best countries in the world to be a mother, a parent and a child.

Latest News