Majority of child minders unregistered

PETALING JAYA: The huge number of unregulated childcare providers and childcare centres is making it impossible for the government to keep tabs on all of them.

As such, the burden of keeping an eye out for unregistered childcare minders and centres has to be shared by parents and the community at large too, says the umbrella body of registered childcare providers in the country.

Association of Registered Child­care Providers Malaysia president Norsheila Abdullah said that parents and society were equally responsible for keeping an eye on such centres.

“The government can only step in once a minder or a centre is registered,” added Norsheila.

“We should stop blaming the Social Welfare Department for allegedly not doing their job in monitoring centres,” said Norsheila.

“The Department cannot simply go into the centres and check – there are procedures and laws to comply with,” she said.

“If nannies want to be in the industry, they must learn the proper channels and find ways to get registered.”

Norsheila was responding to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s recent announcement to tighten laws to prevent infant deaths due to negligence by babysitters.

In a space of three weeks, two babies died while under the care of their babysitters. Both were un­­registered child minders who take care of children to supplement their income.

The first case was on July 3 when a 33-year-old woman was arrested after a five-month-old she was minding went missing. Police found the baby in a freezer at her house in Batu Caves.

A post-mortem revealed that five-month Adam Rayqal Mohd Sufi Naeif had died of brain haemorrhage and fracture of the skull.

Yesterday, a 10-month-old child died in Muar after falling out of the crib at the babysitter’s house. Police detained the 35-year-old babysitter to assist in investigations.

Norsheila said many parents sent their children to unregistered centres or minders such as their own neighbours.

“Parents who do so should check on the minders and encourage them to register with the government and go for proper training,” she said when contacted.

Norsheila said babysitters who operated out of homes should take the initiative to go for the Permata Early Childhood Education Pro­gramme.

This is a compulsory basic course for registered childcare providers and private preschool teachers to ensure that they are truly qualified.