Fellow Dominicans, as the Honourable Minister for Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and National Excellence, I am indeed delighted about this, my first address to you in observance of Early Childhood Development Month, November 2020. Our theme chosen for the observance of this year’s celebration is “Embracing Opportunities for Early Childhood Development.”
To date there are over a thousand children enrolled in three different programmes. They are the Roving Caregivers Programme, the programmes at the daycares and the programmes at the preschools.
There are now twelve-day care centers and sixty-nine preschools registered with the Ministry of Education. It is important to note that, despite the challenges of the pandemic, my government continues to pay subvention ranging from one thousand five hundred dollars to two thousand, five hundred dollars to all registered early childhood facility on the island.
Generally, there are several activities planned in observance of Early Childhood Development Month. Given our present situation, we have been forced to change the way in which we normally celebrate; but we will still celebrate. We are therefore proposing that activities that would normally be held as districts be held at centre level and in the homes as in the case of the Roving Caregivers Programme.
Today, we expect to begin the month with our usual prayer services as we call upon the almighty God to bless the activities that we have planned for the month of November 2020. Rather than coming together as districts, these services are expected to be held as individual preschools or daycare centers.
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