By MATT MAURA
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – The Department of Social Services (DOSS) application process for school uniform assistance is underway.
The Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, made the announcement during a two-day visit to Grand Bahama that began on Wednesday (July 31). The Minister is using the break in the proceedings of the House of Assembly to continue his field trips to the various social services and urban development locations throughout The Bahamas to hold face-to-face meetings with staff, while further affording him the opportunity to meet with residents and clients in an effort to ensure continued efficiency of services everywhere.
Minister Campbell urged those persons who may be in need of uniform assistance to not “wait until the last minute” to submit the required paperwork, but to instead submit the paperwork ahead of schedule so that the assessments can be completed and approvals granted for those qualifying for the assistance, ahead of schedule.
The required paperwork includes the child’s/children’s birth certificate and/or passport and their Report Card from the last semester showing that they would have attended school. In the case of those children/students changing schools, a copy of the acceptance letter from the new school is required.
DOSS officials have already been mobilized and have held technical discussions with their partners, including officials at the Bank of The Bahamas and those persons/businesses designated school uniform vendors, in order to ensure optimum results for those families needing, and qualifying for, the assistance.
Last year, DOSS officials spent $255,781.62 of the $270,000 allocated for the School Uniform Assistance Programme to provide uniforms to 1,038 families throughout The Bahamas.
New Providence had the largest number of requests for assistance with 523 families receiving assistance at a cost of $136,540; Grand Bahama serviced 347 families at a cost of $80,000, while the combined figure for the Family Islands was 168 families at a cost of $39,241.62.
The DOSS granted the assistance through the Bank of The Bahamas (BOB) VISA Prepaid Gift Card in New Providence and Grand Bahama while the Centres in the Family Islands issued Purchase Orders to various vendors for those families who were approved for the assistance.
