Budget funding for Catholic institutions

Senior writer LARA PICKFORD-GORDON takes a final look at the National Budget, which was recently passed and assented to by the President.

The 2026 Budget has allocated $15,690,610 for the Lady Hochoy Centres of Trinidad and Tobago.

The allocation has gone down from $16,363,900 stated for the revised estimates of expenditure 2025. These figures are reported in the Social Sector Investment Programme (SSIP), one of the Budget 2026 documents.

The funding for the Lady Hochoy Centres was formerly listed under the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services but with changes to the names of some ministries under the new administration, the subvention for 2026 is being disbursed by the Ministry of the People, Social Development, and Family Services.

A change was also made with the disbursing agency for the St Dominic’s Children’s Home. In fiscal 2026, the allocation of $13.3m will come via the Ministry of the People. The same sum was recorded to be disbursed last year under the Office of the Prime Minister.

Under the financing for the Ministry of Education (MoE), Servol’s Junior Life Centres were budgeted $3,680,000 for fiscal 2026. Two of Servol’s programmes, funded under the MoE in fiscal 2025, were shifted to the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training.

Servol’s High-Tech and Advanced Skills Training Programme will be disbursed $5 million. The Servol website described the High-Tech Centre as “designed to cater to Servol trainees who have completed the Adolescent Development Programme and wish to acquire skills in the ever-evolving field of computer technology”.  Servol’s Human Development Skills Training was allocated $14m.

Plans to promote inclusion for PWDs

The Ministry of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprises will be promoting the Disability ≠ Inability project, which seeks to “dismantle barriers limiting the participation of persons with disabilities in the labour market.”

The report listed key interventions to promote workplace inclusion and empowerment for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). It stated: “These will include a National Stakeholder Consultation, staff training, and a new national award to recognise exemplary inclusive employers. Public education and sensitisation campaigns will also be launched to shift societal attitudes and build a more equitable and compassionate labour market” (p 172).

The SSIP states in September 2025, the MoE’s Student Support Services Division (SSSD) will spearhead the School Sensitisation Initiative (SSI) on Disability Awareness and Inclusion.

It “aims to promote disability awareness and foster inclusive practices in primary and secondary schools throughout T&T.” The initiative will be piloted in 22 schools in Term I of the 2025– 2026 academic year.

The SSSD, in collaboration with the Child Affairs Division, hosted the inaugural sensitisation session at the Barataria North Secondary School on September 16. Fifty-one Form Three students participated in the meeting which “combined information sharing with interactive activities designed to increase awareness of different types of disabilities and reduce misconceptions surrounding Persons with Disabilities”(PWDS).

The objectives of the SSI are:

• Educate students from an early age on the values of equity, empathy, and respect; Increase understanding of the challenges faced by PWDs
• Reduce stigma and promote inclusive behaviours among young people
• Support the development of more inclusive learning environments across the education system

The SSIP stated, “This initiative represents a proactive step by the government towards embedding a culture of inclusion within the nation’s schools. By engaging students directly, the programme fosters attitudinal change, thereby contributing to the creation of a society that recognises and values diversity.”

The Ministry of the People will establish “an Inclusive Sporting Arena for Persons with Disabilities in T&T” (p 174). These will be tailored to meet the diverse needs of PWDs such as athletes, spectators, staff, and volunteers.

“This arena is expected to strengthen national inclusion goals by supporting competitive engagement and community participation. It will also be a key venue for Special Olympics T&T, promoting physical health and social cohesion among persons with disabilities.”

Housing for PWDs is proposed with construction of 60 low-cost, universally designed housing units which will promote, “dignity, stability, and security for individuals and families with disabilities, improving quality of life and enhancing social integration” (p 174).