Legislation increasing allowances for child daycare support was passed in the Senate yesterday.

The Child Day Care Allowance Amendment Act 2023, which also allows higher-earning households to apply for the subsidy, was passed with no objections.

Leslie Robinson, a Progressive Labour Party senator, said: “Reforming the structure of awards will assist households to cope with the rising costs of services provided by these facilities.

“The Government will increase the daycare allowance benefits and expand the pool of parents who can qualify. The legislation allows for the implementation of a new tiered financial award for childcare daycare services.”

She said the amendment would increase access to the allowance, which is $800 per child per month for households earning $55,000 or less a year.

It will make available a monthly maximum of $900 per eligible child to homes taking in up to $65,000 a year, and $700 for those with $97,000 in gross annual income.

Households earning up to $130,000 a year will be able to seek $500 per child.

The Reverend Emily Gail Dill, a PLP senator, stressed the importance of giving children a healthy start in life.

She said: “The amendment that has been presented this morning certainly reflects a belief in this and a commitment by this government to ensure that every child in Bermuda has what it needs to survive and thrive.

“By passing this Bill, it will afford parents the ability to work outside of the home and provide a firm financial foundation for their children.”

She added that childcare was “critical to the social, emotional and communication skills of all children”.

Douglas De Couto, an Opposition senator, said childcare was a “vital need” that was akin to a human right.

“We are glad to see that this is put in place in a tiered way so it provides more support to those who need more,” Dr De Couto said. He added that he was an advocate of “focused targeted support”.

However, he warned that it was important that government get its spending on track to support the legislation.

Robin Tucker, an Opposition senator, said that while the amendments were “a good thing” she was concern for the future of Bermuda.

“The cost of living and emigration and those things that are impacting our community - if we are not aggressively tackling those things in a few years time, we will be back here having a similar conversation.

“We need to address the root causes of why we are here. The pandemic did contribute but it is not the only contributor.“

Ben Smith, the Opposition Senate Leader, said Bermuda was in a “critical state” when it had to give subsidies to those in households earning $130,000, which in the past would have been considered middle class.

He said: “It does highlight a challenge that has to have all of our focus.”

Arianna Hodgson, a PLP senator, said it was important to remember the PLP’s platform and the reforms put in place to improve support for families.

“Looking ahead, we should all start having conversations about what additional programmes, services, resources can we share with our people so that parents have support,” she said.

“The positive impact of early childcare extends beyond individual children, it extends beyond individual families, it is something that is going to improve our community.”