Wan Azizah: Difficult to monitor all childcare centres

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is facing difficulties in monitoring childcare centres in the country as not all centres are registered with the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, noted that under the current regulation, only centres with four children and above under their care are required to register themselves with the ministry, leading others to opt out.
She said those who are not registered with the ministry are thus not answerable to the Child Care Centre Act 1984.
Wan Azizah added that there was also a shortage of staff within the ministry to monitor the 4,293 registered centres nationwide at present and that some parents preferred sending their children to their relatives, making monitoring harder for the government.
"We know there are some constraints and challenges we are facing. In regards to monitoring the centres, there are 4,293 registered centres up to June this year.
"But there are some difficulties because our Welfare Department does not have enough officers to monitor them completely," she told the Dewan Rakyat during the question and answer session, here today.
"We would also like to encourage all childcare centres to register with us. However, those who are not required currently feel that this (registering) may make work harder for them," she added.
Wan Azizah, however said her ministry was in the midst of setting up a special committee to, among other things, make it mandatory for all centres to be registered.
She said the committee would also review and study the cost of managing childcare centres in its bid to ensure parents were not charged exorbitantly for their children's care.
"The committee will also work together with the authorities to strengthen prosecution evidence for court proceedings involving child abuse cases by their carers," she added.
Wan Azizah said the ministry also expects all government agencies to have their own childcare centres by Jan 1 next year, especially in working places that require jobs that work in shifts.
"We are also working with the Education Ministry to set up these centres in schools for the ease of teachers."