12 October 2007
Gauteng Child Care Centres will be enhanced by a once-off subsidy per child
each day in the next financial year.
This pronouncement was declared by MEC for Social Development Kgaogelo
Lekgoro during the launch of the Early Childhood Development Registration Drive
(ECD) in Temba stadium, Hammanskraal on Thursday, 11 October 2007.
The events also served as the provincial launch of the Social Development
Month campaign. He said his department will do all it can to ensure that all
public and civil society programmes for children under the age of five years
are quantitatively and qualitatively supported. Lekgoro also emphasized that
the province is facing a critical problem of lack of infrastructure and
professional practitioners which is at zero level.
"We need to ensure that we have the right people with the necessary
qualifications in ensuring the development of these young minds and
subsequently the future of our country. Children need to grow up in a nurturing
and secure family environment that can facilitate their development,
protection, survival and participation in society," he said.
Six care centres were recognised in the area when they received the
certificates of recognition, kits, school bags, paints and toys. Those whose
efforts did not go unnoticed were Good Hope, Ratanang, Rebone, God Care, Makone
and Tirisano care centres.
The launch was also attended by the Minister of Social Development, Zola
Skweyiya, who argued all parents to play a role in ensuring that ECD centres
they leave their children at are registered with the department. He said his
department monitors and evaluates ECD centres and provides assistance to those
that do not meet the requirements for registration, to bring their facilities
up to standard.
"This we do because we believe these services constitute a critical vehicle
through which children can assess all their rights. To this our department has
the responsibility to register all places of care where more than six children
are away from their parents. Today we launch our registration campaign for ECD
services because we seek to raise awareness on all legal requirements related
to ECD services and centres," said Skweyiya.
He added that his department has developed guidelines and a Training Manual
for ECD services. These guidelines have facilitated training for national and
provincial officials who will in turn train other public servants, civil
society workers and other private sector practitioners.
"However we can not do this work alone and must ensure that partnerships
direct all our work. That is why we must all encourage and ensure our children
attend an ECD facility, prior to embarking on the first day of school," he
said.
The objectives of the ECD registration drive include the following:
* to encourage ECD practitioners to register their sites and to address
challenges faced by both government and ECD practitioners in this sector
* inform the public regarding the process of registering their facilities and
documents needed to facilitate the registration
* inform ECD practitioners about government funding and subsidies and the
requirements to qualify for such assistance
* inform practitioners of minimum infrastructural, health, safety, and legal
requirements for ECD facilities
* discuss measures to ensure proper care and protection of children at ECD
sites
* discuss programmes that will ensure that the children are adequately prepared
for incorporation into 'big school', and
* provide an interactive platform for ECD practitioners and parents to air
their views.
Another area of focus during this month will be activities that would
promote services provided to the older persons.
Issued by: Department of Social Development, Gauteng Provincial
Government
12 October 2007
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gautengonline.gov.za)
