KINGSTON, Jamaica— Subsidised nursery and daycare fees, universal pre-K for all four-year-olds, and after-school care at primary schools to support parents are part of a five-pillar policy initiative to be explored by the Government to tackle Jamaica’s total fertility rate, which, at 1.3 children per woman, is worryingly below the replacement level of 2.1.

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher has declared that “It’s time to have a conversation in the interests of preserving families, our communities and society”.

Part of that conversation will be the Five Pillars Policy he outlined on Tuesday during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, when he warned that the decline “threatens the country’s long-term economic stability, social support systems, and national workforce”.