PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):---  Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), proudly joins the global community in recognizing International Nurses Day on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, and extends heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated nurses who serve within the department and across Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin.

This year’s theme, set by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), is “Our Nurses. Our Future. The economic power of care.” The theme highlights the vital role nurses play not only in healthcare delivery but also in strengthening communities and supporting sustainable development.

Nurses are widely regarded as the backbone of the healthcare system, playing a critical role in patient care, health promotion, and disease prevention. Their work requires compassion, resilience, determination, and an unwavering commitment to improving the well-being of others. Whether in clinics, communities, or emergency settings, nurses remain at the forefront of safeguarding public health.

CPS commends its nursing staff for their diligence, professionalism, and dedication to service. Their contributions continue to positively impact the quality of life within the community, reflecting a deep sense of responsibility toward the welfare, safety, and recovery of patients. These qualities not only define the profession but also inspire future generations to pursue careers in nursing.

International Nurses Day is observed annually on May 12, marking the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, whose legacy laid the foundation for modern nursing practices. The day serves as an opportunity to honor nurses worldwide for their invaluable contributions and sacrifices.

CPS extends sincere gratitude to all nurses across both sides of the island—Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin—for their continued commitment to protecting and strengthening the health of the community. As aptly stated, “To do what nobody else will do, in a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through; that is to be a nurse.”

PHILIPSBURG:---  The House of Parliament will sit in a Public meeting on April 7, 2026.

The Public meeting, which was adjourned on April 7, 2026, will reconvene on Tuesday 14.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor (VSA) will be in attendance.

The agenda points are:
2. Deliberations with the Minister of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor regarding the state of affairs of the St. Maarten General Hospital (IS/775/2025-2026 dated March 4, 2026)
3. Deliberations with the Minister of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor, addressing the recent integrity-related allegations within the Ministry, including the request for an investigation by the Integrity Chamber (IS/919/2025-2026 dated April 2, 2026)

Agenda point 2 was requested by MP O.E.C. Ottley, MP L.C.J. Lewis, and MP F.A. Lacroes, and agenda point 3 was requested by MP O.E.C. Ottley, MP C.L. Wever and MP V.C. Jansen-Webster

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org; www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament and www.pearlfmradio.sx

Simpson Bay:---  Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) is proud to announce the launch of its refreshed website experience, introducing a more modern, user-friendly, and visually appealing digital platform for passengers, visitors, and stakeholders worldwide.

Designed with today’s traveler in mind, the refreshed website offers improved navigation, updated content, and enhanced visuals that better reflect the airport’s role as the gateway to the Caribbean. Under PJIAE’s marketing tagline, “Surrounded by Water. Connected by Air,” the updated platform further strengthens the airport’s commitment to connectivity, accessibility, and enhancing the overall passenger experience both online and at the airport itself.

The refreshed website introduces several new features and improvements, including:
• A dedicated airline page with direct airline contact information
• An overview of surrounding islands accessible through Sint Maarten
• A “Before You Fly” section to help passengers prepare for arrival and departure
• An updated careers page showcasing available opportunities within PJIAE
• A full overview of concessionaires available throughout the airport
• Direct links in the footer to both the Dutch and French-side tourism offices
• A new digital sponsorship request feature
• A dedicated section for airport events, updates, and announcements

In addition, the website will serve as PJIAE’s official digital communication platform. From now on, all official press releases, public statements, updates, and announcements issued by the airport will be published directly on the website, providing the public and media with a reliable and centralized source for official information.

Corporate Communications Officer Cassie Schoutens expressed her excitement regarding the launch. "I am very happy and proud to see the launch of our refreshed website experience. Behind the scenes, I worked closely together with Andrei Rochester and our website developers to ensure that both the content and visuals reflect the experience and vision of PJIAE. We look forward to continuing to improve and expand our digital presence moving forward," said Schoutens.

The refreshed website can be visited at: www.sxmairport.com

PHILIPSBURG:--- On the evening of Tuesday, May 5, 2026, the Belair Community Center in Cay Hill was transformed into a living testament to what a village looks like when it shows up for its children. Under the theme “Foster the Future,” the Judicial & Institutional Services Foundation (J&IS), through its Foster Families Central Department, officially launched Foster Care Awareness Month 2026, an evening that moved hearts, stirred consciences, and called an entire community to action.

Government officials, social workers, foster families, volunteers, artists, educators, policy workers, foster children, community leaders, and members of the public filled the hall, united by a shared belief: that every child deserves a safe, loving, and permanent place to call home.

A Prayer to Open, a Purpose to Guide

Before the first word of the program was spoken, the evening was anchored in something deeper. J&IS Board Secretary Marisha Olivacce-Carty opened the gathering with a powerful prayer that set a tone of reverence, compassion, and collective purpose. Her words invited all present to look beyond the ceremony of the evening and toward the sacred responsibility it represented, the protection, dignity, and nurturing of every child entrusted to the care of this community. It was a reminder that the work of foster care is not merely institutional; it is profoundly human, and at its best, it is a calling answered with faith and love.

 An Evening That Moved and Inspired

From the very first notes of the St. Maarten National Anthem, performed by Courtney Yankey-Wilson, to the final symbolic gathering on stage, the evening flowed with grace and purpose under the skilled guidance of Masters of Ceremony Tatiana Arrindell and Prince Herbert Martina. Their warmth, professionalism, and heartfelt delivery set the tone for the entire evening, weaving each moment of the program together seamlessly and keeping the audience engaged from beginning to end. The program wove together artistic performance, personal testimony, and institutional recognition into a tapestry that honored the children at the center of the foster care system while rallying the broader community to their cause.

Young performers from Sunshine Children Center of Physical Development (Circus School), ranging from 4 years and up, dazzled the audience with their energy and joy. Students from the National Institute of Arts (NIA) delivered three profound musical performances: Florianthe Boasman performed “I’m a Survivor,” Nyah Kalmera performed “The Upside of New Beginnings,” and Shannell Bucknor delivered a stirring rendition of “Under Your Wings”, each song a quiet anthem for the children the evening honored. The MAC Primary School also delivered a captivating performance, and Dow’s Musical Foundation added their musical mastery to the program. Shamarr Hodge rounded out the artistic lineup with a moving piece of “spoken words” that brought the audience to its feet.

A Mural Born of Lived Experience

One of the most moving moments of the evening was the display of a collaborative mural created by fostered youth through a dedicated workshop funded by Art Saves Lives and guided by teaching artist Mrs. Zillah Duzon. The mural, vibrant, raw, and deeply human, was not simply artwork. It was a visual declaration of the voices, emotions, and personal journeys of the young people who created it. In every brushstroke, the youth communicated what words sometimes cannot: what it means to hope, to heal, and to belong.

The mural was featured prominently during a silent auction held throughout the evening, alongside additional paintings and artwork created by and for foster youth. Experiences and items generously donated by community organizations, including Kids Zone, Holland House Beach Hotel, Amsterdam Cheese Store, Sint Maarten Yacht Club, and CLEAN, were also featured in the auction, with all proceeds directed toward programs that directly support children within the foster care system. The silent auction was a powerful expression of community generosity and the shared investment in the futures of Sint Maarten’s most vulnerable children. The auction for the mural remains open until the closing of Foster Care Awareness Month at the end of May.

Voices That Cannot Be Forgotten

The heart of the evening belonged to those who have lived the foster care experience. In back-to-back testimonies that brought the audience to a profound stillness, a former foster youth stood before the room and shared her story briefly with quiet courage. Her words were a reminder of both the vulnerability and the resilience that children in the system carry.

Former foster parent Ms. Sharlien Espoza and current foster parent Ms. Natasha Oliver followed with their own testimonies, offering a window into the profound personal commitment that comes with opening one’s home and heart to a child in need. Their accounts illuminated the challenges, the sacrifices, and the immeasurable rewards of foster parenting, and served as a powerful invitation to others in the audience to consider the same calling.

A Minister’s Call: From Awareness to Responsibility

The official opening was delivered by the Honorable Minister of Justice, Ms. Nathalie Tackling, whose remarks set a tone of urgency and sincerity. Speaking with a blue ribbon pinned to her chest in recognition of Foster Care Awareness Month, the Minister did not speak in policy abstractions; she spoke in the language of community and conscience. She announced a significant step toward financially supporting foster families, confirming that the 2026 draft budget includes proposed adjustments that would more than double current financial support. This announcement carries profound importance for the foster care system on Sint Maarten. Financial barriers have long been one of the most cited obstacles preventing willing families from opening their homes to children in need. By more than doubling the support provided to foster families, Minister Tackling's proposed adjustment acknowledges that caring for a vulnerable child comes with real costs, and that the government has a responsibility to ensure those costs do not fall solely on the shoulders of compassionate individuals. This increase has the potential to recruit more foster families, improve the stability and quality of care children receive, and reduce the number of children who remain without a permanent, loving home simply because the system has not adequately supported those willing to provide one.

“We see them at the supermarket, at church, at the playground. We know their families, and sometimes we are their families. That closeness is one of our greatest strengths, but it also means that we cannot look away when we see a child who is struggling.”

Minister Tackling called on Sint Maarten to return to a village approach, where neighbors and families actively look out for one another and for children who may need care, guidance, or protection. She announced a significant step toward financially supporting foster families, confirming that the 2026 draft budget includes proposed adjustments that would more than double current financial support.

“My position as Minister is clear: it is far better to invest in prevention than in punishment. Every child who grows up supported, stable and with a sense of belonging is a child less likely to end up on the wrong side of a courtroom. That is not a social argument; it is a justice argument.”

Her remarks reinforced that child protection is not a charity matter; it is a justice imperative.

The Board’s Reflection: Restoring and Reconciling Our Communities

J&IS Board President Eunicio Martina delivered opening remarks that were at once deeply personal and profoundly institutional. Drawing on a recent experience abroad, Mr. Martina reflected on what it means to truly belong to a community, and the painful contrast he encountered upon returning home to Sint Maarten.

“What I carried home in my chest had nothing to do with food or language or faith. What stayed with me was their sense of community, the instinctive, unspoken way that people belonged to one another. The way a child was, everyone’s child.”

Martina turned the community’s attention to J&IS’s own mission statement, “For Restored and Reconciled Communities,” and issued a candid institutional reflection: that J&IS itself had not yet fully sat with the weight of those words. He extended an invitation to both the foundation and its stakeholders to undertake the deeper work of restoration and reconciliation, naming foster care as one of the clearest practical expressions of that calling.

“When a family opens its doors to a child who is not biologically theirs, that family is, in the most practical, most beautiful sense, restoring and reconciling our community. They are the village we keep talking about.”

Recognition, Gratitude, and a Village Moment

The Honorable Minister of Justice and the President of the J&IS Board jointly honored the evening’s performers with certificates of appreciation and a gift, a gesture that recognized not just their talent, but their courage in using art to tell stories that matter.

The program concluded with closing remarks by J&IS Director Mrs. Cynthia Clarke-Filemon, who offered a heartfelt tribute to the J&IS staff whose dedication, professionalism, and love for the children they serve made the evening possible. Special recognition was given to Bergelie Lumaine, who coordinated the event as part of her internship at J&IS, ably supported by family guardian Lisandra Pantophlet, a testament to passionate advocates stepping forward to serve Sint Maarten’s children. In a deeply symbolic and moving moment, Director Clarke-Filemon invited key individuals in attendance, those who have made significant and sustained contributions to foster care on Sint Maarten, to join her on stage. In what became the emotional crescendo of the evening, these individuals stood together side by side, a living embodiment of the event’s rallying cry: “Be the Village, Foster a Child.”

 The Month Ahead: Foster The Future

Foster Care Awareness Month 2026 does not end with a single evening. Throughout the month of May, J&IS and Foster Families Central will continue a series of outreach initiatives focused on increasing the number of foster families across Sint Maarten, strengthening community partnerships, promoting foster care, mentorship, and volunteerism, and raising sustained public awareness about the ongoing needs of children in the system.

The month will culminate in a Walk-A-Thon on May 30, “Taking Steps to Foster The Future,” a community-wide march that invites every resident to physically demonstrate their commitment to the children of Sint Maarten.

Gratitude and Acknowledgment

J&IS extends its deepest gratitude to all who made the launch evening a success. A heartfelt thank you goes first to the Masters of Ceremony, Tatiana Arrindell and Prince Herbert Martina, whose dedication, warmth, and poise were instrumental in making the evening the success it was. Their contributions extended far beyond the stage, and J&IS is deeply grateful for their commitment to this cause. Thank you also to the performers and artists: Sunshine Children Center of Physical Development (Circus School), the National Institute of Arts (NIA), the Methodist Agogic Center, BFM Campus, Dow’s Musical Foundation, and Shamarr Hodge. To teaching artist Mrs. Zillah Duzon and Art Saves Lives for the transformative mural workshop. To all silent auction donors, sponsors, and community organizations whose generosity fuelled the evening and will continue to fund programs for children in care, including Kids Zone Playground, Holland House, The Cheese Factor, and Sint Maarten Yacht Club, for their valued financial contribution.

A very special thank you is extended to Director Steven Carty and the Point Blanche Prison, whose chefs and inmates generously prepared 100 snack boxes for the event, a remarkable act of community service and human dignity that did not go unnoticed. This contribution embodied the spirit of the evening: that everyone, in every corner of our community, has something meaningful to give. J&IS also wishes to thank event decorator Ms. Sue-Ellen Tyson Libretto for her beautiful work in creating the evening's atmosphere, Mrs. Duyorthana Plantein Castro for her creative support, and DJ Onil Plantein for keeping the spirit of the evening alive throughout the night.

J&IS also acknowledges its essential institutional partners: the Ministry of Justice Sint Maarten, the Court of Guardianship Sint Maarten, the Court of First Instance Sint Maarten, the J&IS Youth Residential Home and New Start for Children Home, and all stakeholders across the public sector, private sector, and civil society whose collaboration underpins the protection of children on this island. A special thanks also to the Honorable Minister of Justice, Member of Parliament Sjamira Roseburg, Judge Gerbert Drenth, Department Head of the Court of Guardianship Kimberly Dort-Brown, and Chief Prosecutor Manon Ridderbeks for their attendance and support. We also extend heartfelt appreciation to the members of the general public who purchased tickets, made donations, attended the event, participated in the silent auction, and helped amplify the message of foster care across the community. Your support and presence contributed directly to creating awareness, strengthening community involvement, and supporting children and families in need.

Finally, and above all, J&IS expresses its gratitude to the foster parents, foster children, volunteers, mentors, and community members who give of themselves every single day to ensure that no child faces the future alone.

Just as the evening began in prayer, it closed in the same spirit. Pastor Erick van Arneman offered a closing prayer that brought the room together in a moment of stillness and gratitude, a benediction not only for the night’s gathering, but for every child, every family, and every caregiver whose story intersects with foster care on this island. His words sent each person present into the night carrying something more than they arrived with: a renewed sense of responsibility, of hope, and of the quiet conviction that together, this community can and must do more for its most vulnerable children.

Every child deserves a family. Every family can be a village. Every village can change a life. Be the Village, Foster a Child, be their Future.