Gov’t pursuing training for homeless people, new centre for children with special needs

As part of holistic efforts to provide care and support to vulnerable individuals, the government will soon work towards making homeless people job-ready while also opening a brand new centre for children with special needs.

Concerns have been raised by Opposition Members of Parliament that the 2022 National Budget does not provide enough support to vulnerable individuals.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud, however, knocked these concerns, highlighting that numerous initiatives are being rolled out or expanded to provide this care and support to people.

One initiative, she pointed out, was the provision of training to people who are homeless and indigent (that is poor or needy). This will be done through support from the Ministry of Labour.

“It’s not only to provide shelter and food but also to work on the development of people who may not have had an opportunity in life or maybe life just treated them badly and get them back into the labour force,” Dr. Persaud explained.

Training, she pointed out, has been an integral part of her ministry’s work plan. Thousands of women, in particular, benefitted from skills training and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development.

In 2022, more than 4,000 women are expected to benefit from these training efforts. It is not only that training is being provided but financing and marketing support is also provided.

Novel training opportunities will also be provided to persons with disabilities. In this vein, a new centre that will cater exclusively for teenagers and adults with disabilities should be developed this year.

Building on the support for persons with disabilities, Dr. Persaud also told the House that her ministry will construct a brand-new facility for children who have special needs.

“They are going to be removed from the completely untenable environment I found them in and they have a brand-new institution that we can all be proud of,” the minister said.

There are many more initiatives under the ministry to support vulnerable people but the minister says that these initiatives tie into the government’s agenda of providing support to people.

“The budget cannot be looked at in a silo.

“The facets integrate and interlock to provide assistance to families,” the Human Services Minister explained.

She referenced the increase in the old-age pension, the return of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grants and improvements in healthcare as illustrations of the multifaceted focus on the budget.