By: Spokesman Newsroom

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Wednesday 21st May 2024)-The most representative type of family in St. Kitts and Nevis, according to the latest population and housing census survey, is the single-parent household.

Such demographic insight was spotlighted by Senior Community Development Officer Mrs. Erslyn Bridgewater when quizzed by interviewer Ian Richards during an edition of ‘InFocus’ aired live on radio and television by the St. Kitts-Nevis Information Service (SKNIS) on Wednesday 22nd May 2024.

“Well, dealing with the preliminary reports from the last population and housing census, it was reported that most of the nation’s households are headed by single-parent families,” she commented.

This media house understands that the last survey of that nature was done in 2023.

Bridgewater and her colleague, Lead Officer for Family Month 2024, Haniff Charles, discussed the theme “Strengthening Families for a Better Society.”

As gathered, this demographic shift significantly influences how the Department of Community Development and Social Services tailors its programs and interventions.

According to Charles“…so having that information in terms of the structure of the families here in St. Kitts and Nevis, that is critical information to have as it actually would guide how we would work as community development officers. Because we do intervene in the communities. It determines how we would work with that particular group of persons, the family.”

He further detailed the unique difficulties faced by single-parent families: “… so when you look at the nuclear family, as Mrs. Bridgewater would have indicated, you have two parents in the household and you have the children. And in that, you can look at the economic aspect of it, in that you have two incomes. In most cases, you would have two. You have two incomes coming in to sustain the family. The family has a better structure, a better standing when it comes to the economic aspect of it as opposed to the single family, where there’s, of course, one single income coming in, it’s a little bit more difficult to manage the family and to provide for the family in that instance.”

Charles added, “So that is one of the major challenges. Of course, there are others as it relates to the emotional well-being of the family through the loss, or the absence rather, of the other parent. There are other aspects that we can look at, but primarily when you look at our conversations or interactions with the families in the communities, that is one of the major challenges.”

In response to these challenges, the department implements various social protection programs, he shared, “And it’s a very interesting approach that we have. So, from our end, from the department end, we, of course, strive to strengthen the family. So, where there are issues in the family, we try to provide interventions for those. One of the major interventions would be our social protection programs. Where, in cases where the family is unable to provide, as I mentioned, the economic challenges that exist in the family, there is the LIFT [Livelihood Improvement Family Transformation] program. Of course, there’s also the food voucher program. Of course, there are other challenges that do arise in the family. You might have a death or you might have medical interventions…and those can be very costly. So, we do have the medical assistance that we provide as well as the burial assistance.”

He continued, “From a community development officer standpoint, our primary focus is to go out into the communities again and find out what the problems are. From doing that, we create what is called a needs assessment, a community needs assessment where we list all of the challenges. And, of course, because community development is a bottom-up approach, we engage the community. We empower the community residents to find a solution for these problems. Now, the social protection programs that you mentioned, I just wanted to be clear, they’re not only accessible to families that are single-headed by single parents. Those are families that are, who are raised by their grandchildren or childless families.”

During the interview, Bridgewater provided a comprehensive overview of the different family types present in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“The term family, in its simplest form, is defined as a group of two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption who live together,” she began.

She elaborated on the various family structures. She informed that types of families. The most notable one is the nuclear family, which consists of two parents, usually married or in a common-law relationship, and their children. Another type is the single-parent family, where one parent raises one or more children alone, often due to never marrying, divorce, or widowhood. There are also extended families, childless families, stepfamilies and grandparent families.

Of note, as the Department of Community Development and Social Services observes Family Month-from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day-a variety of activities have been organized to address and celebrate family dynamics within the community.