Ministry welcomes special committee on child care centres

KUCHING: The Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development welcomes the federal government’s announcement on the setting up a special committee to look into possible improvements to the Child Care Centre Act 1984 (Act 308) relating to home-based babysitters.

Its minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah hoped that the Early Childhood Development Division and Welfare Department under her ministry would be invited to sit in the committee.

“To ensure the safety and health of children in childcare nurseries, the ministry this year has collaborated with TM TEC Academy ( M) Sdn Bhd to conduct Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) courses for supervisors and teachers of nurseries and kindergartens in Sarawak,” she said through a text messages yesterday.

“As of this month, seven out of eight planned courses have been implemented in Kuching, Betong, Mukah and Bintulu,” she said.

The OSH training module consists of emergency preparedness and response; first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation ( CP); workplace inspections; hazards identification and risk controls; OSH performance monitoring and corrective actions; accident prevention; prevention of diseases; and incident reporting among others.

Although various programmes have been implemented to emphasise the knowledge, skills and responsibilities needed as caregivers in nurseries and babysitters at home, Fatimah said the work required more than a certificate or college degree.

“The most important criteria is a positive attitude including patience as well as love and care for the children,” she said in response to the annoucement on the setting up a special committee by Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail two days ago.

In Sarawak, Fatimah said there were 34 nurseries at home with 220 children while 63 nurseries at institutions registered with the Welfare Department with a total of 1,533 children and 322 educators.

“Many parents do not send their children under four years to nurseries, and they are more likely to be cared by themselves or by their mothers, grandmothers, neighbours or family members, in which the ministry has no record of the number.

She said among the issues on providing childcare at home and nursery faced in Sarawak included fee for providing care for each child, registration of nurseries at home, and pay for carers if based on qualifications.

“Other proactive steps taken by the ministry include producing a handbook on providing care to children at home, which also touches on the aspects of care as well as safety and security.

“The book was published in 2016, and some 3,800 copies have been distributed to government hospitals, health clinics, Pustaka Negeri Sarawak ( State Library) and maternity wards,” she added.

Dr Wan Azizah mooted the idea of setting up the special committee following the death of several children in the care of babysitters, including five-month- old Adam Rayqal Muhd Sufi Naeif, who was found stuffed inside a freezer after dying from head injuries caused by blunt force trauma.

The committee, which involves several relevant ministries and agencies, would among others, monitor those involved in babysitting or providing care for children at home.

Dr Wan Azizah said the committee would also review and study the cost of managing childcare centres in the bid to ensure parents were not charged exorbitantly for their children’s care. The committee would also work together with the authorities to strengthen prosecution evidence for court proceedings involving child abuse cases by their careers.

To ensure the safety and health of children in childcare nurseries, the ministry this year has collaborated with TM TEC Academy (M) Sdn Bhd to conduct Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) courses for supervisors and teachers of nurseries and kindergartens in Sarawak.

Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development minister