Caribbean Child Support Initiative scores major victory

The Caribbean Child Support Initiative (CCSI) has scored a major victory as it prepares to transition its robust early childhood programming to a regional Foundation which would ensure the programme’s sustainability.{{more}}

At a recent CCSI meeting in Dominica, representatives from the private sector and regional organisations openly embraced the idea of establishing a foundation to operate and manage a Regional Support Fund which would be responsible for securing and managing the financing and any

other resources necessary to administer early childhood development in the region.

Susan Branker-Lashley, CCSI Programme Director, noted that such a support fund operating under a regional foundation would attract philanthropic or “Social investment” from both the private and public sectors.

Donor confidence will also be inspired through the provision of regular reports on the social outcome and impact of their donations, Branker-Lashley explained.

The meeting held in Roseau was the third in a series of consultations convened by the CCSI with private sector and regional partners from St. Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, Barbados and Jamaica.

A number of strategies relating to the sustainability of the CCSI’s processes and core initiatives were discussed.

Among the proposed initiatives is a plan for the foundation to leverage financing for the Regional Support Fund from regional, international and development partners in the public and private sector.

These funds will be allocated by the Foundation to governments and other partners to support and sustain quality ECD programmes and services in their countries.