NIA CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS (July 20, 2026)– The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) continues to provide substantial support to single-parent households, investing approximately $300,000 in daycare assistance through the Assisted Childcare for Toddlers and Infants on Nevis (ACTION) Plan Daycare Assistance Programme.

Minister of Gender Affairs and Social Development, the Honourable Senator Jahnel Nisbett, provided an update on the programme during a recent sitting of the Nevis Island Assembly.

“The support that we provide through the Department of Gender Affairs to individuals to support daycare for their infants, that programme, to date, we’ve serviced 67 children, and we have managed to contribute up to $280,000 in support for daycare assistance to our families on the island of Nevis,” she informed.

Senator Nisbett said that 15 children enrolled in the programme will graduate this year and transition to preschool. She also reminded the public that enrolment in the programme is open year-round for eligible families with children attending daycare.

Premier of Nevis and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Mark Brantley, expressed pride on behalf of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM)-led administration for developing initiatives that provide meaningful support to families.

“It’s a project that we’re very, very proud of. That project came from walking through a community. We were in Hamilton, and a young mother came and spoke to us about the difficulties she was having with daycare, and that’s where this project came from- being in the community, listening to people, and then implementing to try and help people,” he explained.

The Premier noted that the government has already invested approximately $56,000 in the programme so far this year. He also pointed out that the financial assistance is paid directly to daycare centres, thus providing support to both families and childcare providers.

Currently, nearly 40 families are benefiting from the programme.

The Premier encouraged eligible parents to register for the programme to help give their children the best possible start.

“We recognize that a lot of our children get their primary foundation in daycare, so we need to be strong at the roots if we want them to grow up and be strong trees and become pillars in the society.

“So that programme is certainly still going and the theme that we’ve used is ‘Supporting Working Families and Strengthening Futures.’ So again, a programme that I believe has been assisting people in a meaningful way.”

Parents interested in enrolling in the ACTION Plan Daycare Assistance Programme can call 469-5521, extension 6750, or visit the Department of Gender Affairs at the GMBC Building on Government Road.

The NIA’s Childcare Assistance Programme supports single-parent households earning $2,000 or less per month and dual-income households earning $3,000 or less per month. Eligible parents may receive up to $300 per month for as many as two children per household, covering children from birth to age three.

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