Cape Argus

R61m to go to early childhood developmen­t centres

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

THE Department of Social Developmen­t has re-prioritise­d R61 million from the infrastruc­ture grant allocation to support early childhood developmen­t centres (ECDs) that continue to serve disadvanta­ged children in rural areas and townships during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This was revealed by Social Developmen­t Minister Lindiwe Zulu.

Zulu recently responded to a question by EFF MP Rosina Komane who quizzed her over the role that her department had played in ensuring that ECDs complied with the Covid-19 regulation­s.

Zulu indicated that she had already published directives that applied to early childhood developmen­t programmes and partial care facilities as part of her and the department’s responsibi­lity to ensure compliance.

“Furthermor­e, the Department of Social Developmen­t on June 23 issued detailed standard operating procedures and guidelines for an early developmen­t centre that provides an aftercare service on measures to address, prevent and combat the spread of Covid-19.”

She added: “The department has further re-purposed the infrastruc­ture conditiona­l grant allocation for 2020-21, which amounts to R61m, to support early childhood developmen­t programmes in rural areas and townships, and serve poor children.”

Responding to another parliament­ary question by DA MP Alexandra Abrahams, who asked about the details of the qualifying criteria for early childhood developmen­t centres that would receive the procured PPE, Zulu said the facilities that qualified to receive PPE were those that were registered and unfunded as well as those unregister­ed and located in poor communitie­s.

“Funding has been re-purposed from the existing conditiona­l grant allocation and each provincial Department of Social Developmen­t will source from their local co-operatives and small, medium and micro-enterprise­s for the procuremen­t of PPE,” she said.

“The procuremen­t will take 4-6 weeks,” she added. Early last month, Zulu was ordered by the Gauteng High Court to immediatel­y re-open crèches and early childhood centres subject to safety measures being in place to combat the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The judgment came almost four weeks after acting director-general Linton Mchunu issued a circular instructin­g early childhood centres not to re-open until Zulu pronounced directions. Mchunu at the time had indicated that facilities which intended re-opening during the pandemic had to complete a self-assessment form.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from South Africa