Enrolling your child in any school can bring about a lot of anxiety. But in the case when it's an infant or toddler, this apprehension increases because of the child’s inability to communicate with you or the carer.
This, along with recent news on how children can be ill-treated by carers in your own home or at school, encourages parents to be particular and for them to do proper research on the centre in which they place their children.
We have come up with a few tips on how parents can check or investigate whether an ECD centre is registered with the Department of Social Services, meaning it has been inspected and complies with government regulations.
According to government regulations, ECD centres should be run by qualified personnel with an appropriate qualification in child care, but this does not limit it to graduates in ECD.
The ECD centre should:
- Be run in a safe and conducive environment for children.
- Have provision for when a child is ill.
- Be secure and no harmful items near the children’s area.
- Have safe drinking water; clean and hygienic toilet amenities; and ample space and ventilation.
To ensure an ECD centre is registered parents should:
Request a copy of their certificate of registration. There should be two certificates; one from the provincial social services department and the other from the local municipality. Ensure that the dates and certifications are up-to-date.
On application, parents should be required to fill in forms and provide the centre with the child’s documentation that includes: birth certificate; immunisation card/booklet, a residency permit.
Those in the Western Cape can also check here