PACIS Respite Centre in Portsmouth has reopened after two years, welcoming children with disabilities following major renovations.
Dominica: The PACIS Respite Centre (Parents Advocating for the Children with Disabilities Inclusion in Society) in Portsmouth has shared that it will resume providing services to the children with disabilities, announcing that the centre has officially reopened following a two-and-a-half-year closure period.
This announcement was made by the President of the PACIS Respite Centre, Ainsworth Irish, who credited the opening to the funding the centre received from the Government of Dominica in August last year, which allowed them to do some renovations on the facility.
It had been closed for about two and a half years because of financial constraints. However, I must report that in August of 2025, we got an injection of funds from the Government of Dominica, but there was quite a lot of repairs to be done to the centre, stated President Ainsworth Irish.
He further added that the centre received additional support from a foundation from France, the Peace and Love Foundation, also donated a sum of €15,000, which also boosted the repair process.
Initially, the Portsmouth Respite Centre was supposed to be opened in March but due to the ongoing repairs, the President stated that they had to shift the opening date to May 18 to support the completion of the works. Following its opening, the centre has already received a total of 20 children, with an addition of new staff members to aid in their learning.
President Irish had thanked the Government of Dominica for their commitment to supporting community-based healthcare and the Peace and Love Foundation.
Hearing this centre re-opening announcement, the citizens of Dominica have expressed their excitement to have the centre resume its operations, stating that the facility serves as a “vital community lifeline for the northern region of the island.”