Good day, Bermuda.
Thank you all for joining us this afternoon. I want to share with you the initiatives of the Ministry of Youth, Social Development, and Seniors designed to foster a fairer, more equitable Bermuda as outline in Our Throne Speech Initiatives for 2024/25—A Bermuda where no member of our community is left behind and every voice is heard and valued.
The role of the Ministry of Youth, Social Development, and Seniors is to safeguard Bermuda’s most vulnerable populations. These include our young people, our elderly, persons with disabilities, and families facing hardship.
Today, I want to speak to each of you about how we will improve social support, strengthen protections, and uphold the dignity of every individual across our community.
Establishing a Disabilities Act
This year, Bermuda took a historic step, becoming the first Overseas Territory to extend the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This initiative sets a strong foundation for us to advance our own Disabilities Act, an essential framework that ensures persons with disabilities are granted equal rights and access.
The new act will be a powerful tool to protect and empower individuals with disabilities, providing them the access to services, facilities, and employment they deserve.
In April, the launch of Bermuda’s first National Disability Register began the critical work of identifying the needs of persons with disabilities across our island. This positions us to identify and address the gaps in available programs, services, and necessary equipment.
A Disabilities Act will be the next step in this journey which is long overdue and urgently needed.
I want to acknowledge all those living with disabilities who have reached out to me, including those who visited me at the polling station back in 2017, when I first ran for parliament. Your trust in this government to advance legislation on your behalf is both heard and deeply valued.
Personal Allowance for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities in Care
Many of our Financial Assistance clients in rest and nursing homes face an unspoken but pressing issue: they struggle to afford basic hygiene products and personal care items. We know that dignity in care isn’t a privilege—it is necessary. That’s why we are amending the Financial Assistance Regulations to include a $100 monthly personal allowance.
This addition will help seniors and persons with disabilities in care facilities maintain self-integrity and meet their daily needs.
Intensive Family Preservation
With a small community such as ours, families sit at the heart of Bermuda. They are the foundation of our society, and we must ensure they have the support needed to thrive. Unfortunately, many families are grappling with financial hardship, housing insecurity, and gaps in basic life skills.
Our new Intensive Family Preservation Program will take a Cross-Ministry Team approach to provide hands-on support to high-risk families. This program will equip families with the tools to manage daily responsibilities like budgeting, meal planning, and effective communication to build stable, parenting and nurturing environments for their children. This program has proven to be effective to our families and community.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." This ancient wisdom reminds us that we cannot build a thriving Bermuda without supporting the families who make up our communities. When our families are strong, our society is strong.
By intervening directly, we are breaking cycles of hardship and empowering families to move forward with hope, resilience, and independence.
I also want to remind the public that the Personal Allowance for seniors and persons with disabilities and the Intensive Family Preservation were initiatives funded by the Mid Year Budget Review. We are certain that these initiatives will deliver a meaningful difference in the lives of Bermudians now.
A Plan to End Homelessness in Bermuda
Every person deserves a safe place to call home. We recognize that housing insecurity is a complex issue affecting far too many Bermudians. To address this, the Government has finalized a plan to end homelessness, which will soon be presented to the Legislature.
This plan is not just a policy—it’s a commitment to ensure every Bermudian has access to stable housing. This requires all of us, government and community alike, to work to bring about lasting change.
In these times, the government must be proactive and connected to the real struggles of Bermudians.
We have not lost sight of your challenges, and we are working to address them head-on. From securing housing to ensuring our elderly and children are protected, this government is committed to the well-being of every Bermudian. Our role is to lead, to coordinate, and to monitor progress. But we also need the community’s engagement.
This legislative session is about lifting Bermuda’s most vulnerable, empowering families, and building a future where everyone can thrive. These initiatives are not just policies; they are holding us accountable to you, the people of Bermuda. I am here to ensure that these accountabilities are —not just words, but are real, measurable changes that reach every corner of our island.
Let us continue this journey together, grounded in the values of dignity, equality, and opportunity for all.
Together, we will build a Bermuda that is fairer, more inclusive, and more resilient, where no one is left behind, and every member of our community has a place to be heard and respected.