See below full press release issued by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security:The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security embarked on a strategic public-private partnership with the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) on Wednesday, 20th August, to place Day, Night, and Early Childhood Centres on-site at companies and business places to provide childcare services for their employees.Speaking in GCCI’s boardroom, Minister Dr. Vindhya Persaud highlighted the Ministry’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Gender Empowerment programmes, emphasising the private sector’s key role in national development and securing a brighter future for everyone.The minister shared information on the newly established Day, Night Care and Early Childhood Development Centre in Region Three, supporting children aged 0–3 years 9 months through early intervention towards their emotional and physical well-being, developmental milestones, with the active involvement of parents and caregivers.Minister Persaud explained that the Ministry of Human Services will provide technical support, a model, training of staff, and policy guidelines for businesses that wish to implement such centres within their workplace.She emphasised that these on-site care facilities will ease the challenges parents have in finding childcare services, reduce the cost, and also relieve their minds that their children are close by and cared for by trained individuals.“Today’s initiative speaks of public-private partnership, where we want to work with all the persons in the private sector to ensure that the model is within your work environment. This policy will be one that I think will have the best impact, because we want every parent to have peace of mind, knowing their child is safe,” Minister Persaud stated.She also outlined the other approaches of boosting entrepreneurship in the area of care, encouraging companies and businesses to hire service providers to set up and manage the initiative, or adopting the consortium model, which brings women together to start and run their own care enterprises.Through training and support from the Childcare and Protection Agency’s ECD Unit and the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN), these businesses can operate directly on company premises, creating a better working environment. The initiative is expected to also significantly benefit women and men who are trained through WIIN in Childcare and Early Childhood Development.“You will increase your outputs and your deliverables coming from those employees, as they will be assured of their children’s care and safety,” the minister told members of the GCCI.Several persons at the meeting, including the President of GCCI, Kathy Smith, lauded the partnership and pledged support for the initiative.“This is a conversation that speaks not only to parents, but also to business owners, service providers, and community leaders. It’s a public-private partnership initiative that we’re proud to be a part of, and I believe it represents a critical step toward a more inclusive, family-friendly business environment in Guyana,” GCCI’s President expressed.Several other members expressed interest in placing the facilities at their businesses or investing in or developing similar entrepreneurial enterprises.Additionally, Minister Persaud touched on the Ministry’s Home-Based Care Policy, which will further support women establishing care initiatives in their communities, offering financial aid, technical expertise, and guidance.She emphasised how women can come together in consortia to offer these vital childcare services in their communities and develop their entrepreneurship ventures. The minister urged business owners at GCCI to see corporate social responsibility as a way to transform communities.“I want to ask you to partner with us to mentor and to support the development of these community-based day, night, and early childhood centres. While you look at what is happening for you in the business world, think of a community that you want to support and come together as business entities and support those communities, with the establishment of childcare centers” Minister Persaud expressed.Moreover, highlighting men’s empowerment, the Minister also encouraged GCCI to expand the network of Brave Centres, creating spaces for men countrywide after the successful partnership with the Region Three Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the West Central Mall.This Brave Centre is a hub for our men to engage with experts on issues like anger management, conflict resolution, and healthy relationships. It is geared under the Ministry’s policy and programmes focused on men to tackle key social ills, including gender -based violence. She urged the GCCI to identify additional spaces where the Ministry can collaborate to launch more safe spaces for men.Minister Persaud also introduced the National Gender Equality and Empowerment Seal, which will assess workplaces on gender equality, equal opportunity and empowerment, absence of harassment at workplaces, and progressive policies to address all of these. The Ministry will provide all the technical support and training, and companies will be awarded bronze, silver, or gold seals based on performance and progress.For this comprehensive list of initiatives put forward by Minister Persaud, the GCCI’s President praised the Government’s pro-private sector stance and highlighted the importance of valuing every employee.“Normally, the private sector is at the head of the work, and the Government is supporting, but this Government is tit-for-tat with the private sector. And we appreciate a government that is pro-private sector and not anti-private sector,” Smith said.Minister Persaud thanked GCCI and its President for the overwhelming support and partnership on these new initiatives.Furthermore, the minister toured the facility where GCCI will facilitate training for 30 women through the WIIN programme in collaboration with the World University Services of Canada (WUSC), equipping them with agro-processing skills to achieve financial independence.The post Human Services Ministry, GCCI launch partnership for workplace care & ECD centres appeared first on News Room Guyana.