The Government of Saint Lucia is providing approximately EC$670,800 in financial assistance to 104 private early childhood centers, benefiting 3,588 children during Term 1 of the 2026-2027 academic year.

The assistance forms part of the Government’s continued investment in early childhood care and education and provides support directly to private centers while helping to offset school-fee costs for families.

Under the program, each participating centre receives EC$3,000 in institutional support, together with EC$100 per child toward school fees for the term.

The initiative was highlighted Tuesday at a cheque disbursement ceremony hosted by the Early Childhood Services Unit of the Ministry of Education, Youth Development, Sports and Digital Transformation at Chateau Heritage in Dennery.

Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Justice, National Security, Constituency Development and People Empowerment Philip J. Pierre said the Government recognizes the importance of the early childhood sector and the role educators play in shaping children’s development.

“So we take Early Childhood very seriously, for good reason,” Prime Minister Pierre said. “So you see how important you are?”

He also emphasized that the Government’s support for early childhood educators would continue to develop, telling centre administrators: “This is just the beginning of support for the Early Childhood Educators. Just the beginning of the support for you. We appreciate what you do.”

Prime Minister Pierre further linked the work of early childhood educators to wider efforts to address social challenges, noting that early identification and intervention can play an important role in children’s development.

Minister in the Ministry of Education with responsibility for Early Childhood, Continuing and Special Education, and Digital Transformation, Hon. Danny Butcher, said Government is also making broader investments in education and early intervention.

“And so we will invest in the future,” Minister Butcher said, noting that EC$3.4 million has been allocated for TVET, special education and early childhood education development, along with another EC$1 million for the early identification of learning difficulties.

The Government’s Early Childhood Education Unit identifies the professionalization of the sector, quality assurance, workforce development and stronger support for parents and caregivers among its key priorities.

The Government’s 2026/27 Budget has also identified continued work toward universal early childhood education as one of its priorities.