The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE Department of Social Services has spent $139,000 on school uniform assistance in New Providence and the Family Islands, with nearly 4,000 children receiving support across the country as the new school year approaches.

Figures provided by Social Services Director Aneita Duncombe show 3,931 beneficiaries recorded across New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco, Bimini and other Family Islands as of August 26.

The department has a $498,000 allocation for uniform assistance in New Providence and the Family Islands, excluding Grand Bahama, Abaco and Bimini, which have separate budgets.

The $139,000 spent so far represents about 28 percent of that allocation, leaving approximately $359,000 available.

Ms Duncombe said the numbers continue to change as more families seek assistance ahead of the start of school and insisted applicants will not be turned away even after the September 15 deadline for the Back-to-School Assistance Programme.

New Providence accounts for more than half of the beneficiaries recorded nationally.

There, 2,069 children from 1,043 applications have been processed through four Social Services centres.

Robinson Road recorded the largest number, with 754 beneficiaries, or 36.4 percent of the New Providence total. Horseshoe Drive recorded 644 beneficiaries, Wulff Road 410 and Fox Hill 261.

Grand Bahama has recorded another 1,176 beneficiaries from 624 applications.

Freeport accounted for 789 beneficiaries, followed by Eight Mile Rock with 377. East End and the Grand Bahama headquarters each recorded five.

The department did not provide Grand Bahama’s allocation or expenditure figure, saying that information, along with figures for Abaco and Bimini, would be obtained from the Grand Bahama office.

Abaco has recorded 101 beneficiaries from 57 applications. Central Abaco accounted for 48, North Abaco 46 and South Abaco seven. Of the beneficiaries, 43 were boys and 58 were girls.

Bimini recorded 47 beneficiaries from 24 applications. The department said further information on their ages, gender and schools was still pending.

Another 538 beneficiaries have been recorded through the Family Island Unit.

North Andros has the largest number among those islands, with 200 beneficiaries, followed by Central Andros with 114 and Mangrove Cay with 76.

Long Island recorded 51 beneficiaries, while South Andros and Inagua each recorded 42. Mayaguana recorded eight and the Berry Islands five.

The latest figures come after comparative data showed fewer applications had initially been processed this year than during the same period in 2025.

As of August 12, 1,409 applications had been processed in New Providence and Grand Bahama, compared with 2,139 at the same point last year.

New Providence had recorded 831 applications compared with 1,374 in 2025, while Grand Bahama had recorded 578 compared with 765.

However, Ms Duncombe said the figures were continuing to rise as the school opening drew closer and more families sought help.

The uniform assistance programme provides financial support to families with school-aged children to help meet the cost of school uniforms.