Video: Minister On Supplementary Funding

Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors Tinee Furbert held a press conference this morning [Oct 3] to share further details of the programmes and services announced in the Mid-Year Budget Review.

Minister Furbert’s full statement follows below:

Good Morning Bermuda,

As Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors I am excited to share with you the additional services and programmes that our Ministry Departments will be developing and implementing to support Bermuda’s vulnerable populations, which include our children, youth, vulnerable adults, seniors, and persons with disabilities.

These initiatives will help strengthen the social fabric of the Bermuda community and reflect the Government’s unwavering commitment to improving the quality of life for Bermudians.

As part of the Mid-Year Budget Review, the Ministry of Youth, Social Development, and Seniors has received a supplementary budget that includes three million two hundred and sixty-two thousand dollars [$3,262,000] in current expenditure and one million, two hundred and twenty-seven thousand dollars [$1,227,000] in capital expenditure for the 2024/25 fiscal year.

I am pleased to outline how this funding will help develop and implement targeted programs and services in Bermuda’s social sector.

Let me start first with the Department of Child and Family Services which has been given an additional seven hundred and sixty-eight thousand dollars [$768,000] in funding to implement three programs, namely:

• 1. Support for Families in Crisis that face sudden financial hardship crises, such as the immediate need for food, electricity, or medications. Vouchers will be made available to provide immediate assistance and support for families who find themselves in these types of situations.

• 2. The Department of Child and Family Services will reintroduce the Cross Ministry Intervention Team [CMIT] model to support an Intensive Family Preservation program that will improve family functioning, avoid incidents of child maltreatment and reduce foster care placements. This program will provide intensive home- intervention services which are based on best practice directly to our high-risk families.

A family will require a minimum of 5 hours of face-to-face or telephone contact with the team per week. The team includes a social worker, behavioural specialist and mental health counselor.

• 3. The Department of Child and Family Services will issue a request for information to organizations in Bermuda that currently offer Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programmes. These organizations will then be invited to submit proposals for delivering these services.

A 2022 review by SafeLives UK highlighted a lack of perpetrator services in Bermuda and recommended the implementation of such services within the criminal justice system.

The SafeLives report found that 1 in 4 perpetrators are repeat offenders, with some having up to six different victims, and only 1% receive specialist services.

The overall aim is to develop a comprehensive Perpetrator Response Model for Bermuda, that includes specialist treatment services.

Moving to the Department of Financial Assistance which has been given an additional nine hundred and eleven thousand dollars [$911,000].

Investing in the well-being of vulnerable populations demonstrates the Government’s commitment to a compassionate and inclusive society.

• 1. The Department of Financial Assistance recognizes the need for enhanced mental health services, that is currently limited to four sessions per client annually. Increased funding will allow more sessions as needed for children and adults on financial assistance, thus improving mental health outcomes and fostering a resilient community.

• 2. Also the Department notes that approximately 55% of financial assistance recipients are seniors needing regular healthcare. Additional funds have been allocated for personal home care to address the rising demand of seniors preferring to be cared for at home with family. This will also ease the strain on nursing and rest home facilities and free up hospital beds for acute clinical needs.

• 3. Financial Assistance will provide a $100 monthly personal care allowance to its clients in rest and nursing homes to ensure they have necessary toiletries and personal care products. This will address a critical funding gap and enhance their comfort and quality of life.

The remainder of the current account expenditure of one million, five hundred and eighty-three thousand dollars [$1,583,000] has been allocated to the Ministry Headquarters. It will support expanded youth programs, extended services for persons with disabilities, targeted day care for seniors with disabilities, food services for food-insecure families, and housing support services for those suddenly homeless.

The Eliza Dolittle Society will receive a grant to help provide nutritious food to individuals and families in need. Their “Health Bag Program” offers healthier food options every week to persons who need support.

Additionally, the Ministry is allocating funds towards the Plan to End Homelessness in Bermuda. This will support housing options and early intervention services, providing a vital lifeline to persons who suddenly find themselves without a home.

Our seniors will not be left behind. The Office of Ageing and Disability Services will receive additional funds to assist seniors facing financial hardship and who do not have any family support. This will cover essentials like food and health services, helping them live with dignity and comfort.

The K. Margaret Carter Centre which serves our persons with disabilities will extend its service hours to better support clients with disabilities. The day program will now run until 5:45 pm, allowing families and caregivers to work traditional hours knowing their loved ones are well cared for.

With extra funding, KMCC will also offer full nursing services for clients with complex needs and establish a daycare program focusing on activities for ageing clients with disabilities, enhancing their vocational skills, quality of life and independence.

The Office of Youth Affairs will receive an additional allocation of funding for its community enrichment programs for seniors, adults and youth for the purchase of materials, equipment and supplies to enhance the delivery of program courses.

The Office of Youth Affairs will also extend daycare services for children of shift workers at the Sammy Davis Central Zone community center, ensuring parents and guardians can work late shifts without worrying about their children’s safety.

The Office of Youth Affairs will expand its before, after and out- of-school programmes at the Purvis, Francis Patton and Elliot primary schools to support our parents.

Lastly, the Ministry was given a supplementary budget of one million, two hundred and twenty-seven thousand dollars [$1,227,000] in capital expenditure.

In summary, the Department of Child and Family Services will be acquiring two new vehicles to support the CMIT model of intensive family preservation. This model is designed to provide families with the intensive support they need to stay together and thrive in their home setting. The transportation will support travel to their homes.

The Office of Youth Affairs will spend monies on needed facility upgrades at our youth community centres. These improvements will provide our young people and seniors with better resources and a safe, supportive environment to enjoy the services and programs offered.

The capital expenditure will also lend to renovation work at the K. Margaret Carter Center needed to implement an expanded senior daycare program, ensuring that our elderly population with disabilities receives the care and attention relevant to their needs.

In addition to the senior day care program for seniors with disabilities, funding will also be used to commence preparation work for the longer-term plan, which is to ensure that our seniors have greater access to daycare services inclusive of dementia care services providing more day care options for families.

All of these initiatives aim to strengthen the social services sector and build a stronger, more supportive community.

Finally, the Government is making a comprehensive investment in the social sector to support our community reflecting its commitment to ensuring that Bermuda’s progress benefits everyone, not just a select few.

By addressing critical social sector needs and providing targeted support, these programs and services will improve the quality of life for many and support our vision for a fairer and better Bermuda for all.

Thank you.

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