Kralendijk- As of 2017 the Dutch Cabinet has made 1 million euro extra a year available to give all children on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius opportunities. In total 550.000 euros was made available for Bonaire, 250.000 euros for St. Eustatius and 200.000 euros for Saba. In 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 there will be once again 1 million available for the islands as well. Grant applications for 2018 may be submitted from May 1, 2018, till May 15.

During the first period, 79 applications were filed for the three islands jointly with a total amount of about 2.3 million euros. With these applications, the available budget has been well exceeded. Applications were submitted by the primary and secondary education, organizations for after school care, church organizations, sports clubs, cultural organizations, organizations for nature protection, child care, youth organizations and Centre for youth and family, amongst others.

Currently, the applications submitted are reviewed on their content, after which additional questions will be sent to the organizations. Most organizations already have received a letter with questions. A number of applications were rejected immediately, because they did not comply with the funding conditions put in place. It is expected that by the end of July a start can be made with the granting and rejecting of grant proposals.

Considering the vast amount of submitted applications and the associated amount, not all applications that meet the required conditions can be granted. Applications that comply with the arrangement, are given the first come, first served basis until the grant ceiling is reached. All subsequent requests will be rejected, according to information from RCN.