Government has allocated $4.4 million to help low income families with day care costs as part of yesterday's $74 million Ministry of Culture and Social Rehabilitation budget.

The Child Day Care Allowance programme was launched last year with an initial budget of $1.5 million. The $3 million in additional funds will now be going to eligible families, who can claim $800 per month per child to subsidise day care expenses.

The Ministry has also increased its budget for financial assistance for needy families and individuals, upping its $18.35 million proposed outlay in 2008/09, by more than $10 million.

The new financial assistance budget of $28.374 million comes after an overspend by the Ministry last year amounting to more than $4 million.

But last night the head of one of the Island's largest family charities described the increases as a "stop-gap measure" rather than a real solution to the financial strain on Bermuda's families.

"The number of individuals needing Child Day Care Allowance, as well as Financial Assistance, has greatly increased, and I am not surprised at this increase," said Martha Dismont, executive director of The Family Centre.

"In 2008, the Ministry solicited feedback from many agencies on the Island about numbers of families possibly needing support and we all concurred that more and more families will need assistance. It is an important "stop-gap" measure but, as Government knows, not a long-term solution."

The financial assistance budget will allow the Department to develop an unemployment benefits policy, described as a temporary measure.

Other significant budget allocations within the Ministry of Culture and Social Rehabilitation include $2.15 million for the Mirrors residential programme for at-risk youths, which was given $1 million in the 2008/09 budget.

The Ministry has also earmarked $500,000 for a new Department of Child and Family Services programme that will see dysfunctional families assessed and offered therapeutic treatment.

An additional $2.4 million has been set aside this fiscal year towards the treatment of behavioural disorders following Ministry visits to educational programmes overseas.

"While costly, the programme is extremely important, as we have no facilities on-Island to provide for such care," said Finance Minister Paula Cox.

The Family Centre's Ms Dismont agreed that overseas treatment of young Bermudians with behaviour disorders is a necessity, citing "a lack of sufficient support on-Island as a result of how we are structured. The increasing number of young people who are showing up with behaviour disorders is due to many issues, and while we applaud the Ministry for identifying funding to support these young people, we continue to need appropriate long-term solutions," Ms Dismont added.

The Ministry also announced a $2 million contribution to the Bermuda 2009 Charitable Trust as part of the Budget, matching private sector contributions to the Island's 400th anniversary fund.

Bermuda 2009 chair Conchita Ming said that while she initially asked for a larger contribution from the Government towards organisation of the year-long 400th anniversary event, she understood the constraints of the economic downturn on public spending.

"We initially wanted more but we cut back on some activities given the economic situation," said Ms Ming.

"With the current economic climate, we realised we had to trim things down somewhat. You can still do many things, but you have to be that much more creative."

Ms Ming acknowledged the Government for "support in kind beyond monetary funds", including the use of an office within the Ministry, press office assistance from the Department of Communications and Information and the waiving of planning fees to accommodate 400th anniversary structures and installations.

Elsewhere within the Ministry, the Libraries received a boost of $96,000 year-on-year and Human Affairs saw a drop of $332,000 in their budget.