Govt lacks manpower to monitor childcare centres

THE Government is facing an uphill task in monitoring childcare centres, not just because many are unregistered but due to insufficient manpower.

This comes just as it vows to have an inhouse childcare centre at all government agencies by Jan 1.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said there is a misconception that there is a lot of red tape involved in the registration and administration process.

The Child Care Centre Act 1984 only requires a centre that has more than four children under its care to be registered.

“This does not cover family members, friends and babysitters who are tasked with fewer than four children at a time.

“We are aware of the restrictions when it comes to monitoring these centres, because we do not have enough officers to conduct detailed observations on each childcare centre on a regular basis,” she said in response to a question by Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS-Rantau Panjang) in Parliament yesterday.

Dr Wan Azizah said there were 4,293 registered childcare centres nationwide as of June this year.

Siti Zailah had asked on immediate measures to regulate childcare centres, including home-based babysitters.

Childcare centre regulations had been brought to light again after five-month-old Adam Rayqal Mohd Sufi Naeif was found dead in his babysitter’s refrigerator earlier this month.

On Monday, a four-month-old boy died, allegedly after choking on the milk he was fed at a childcare centre in Melaka.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, however assured that while regular monitoring of all centres was difficult, there were certain elements that were non-negotiable.

“CCTVs are taken into consideration and I have even raised this with the Prime Minister, that we have to provide a facility from which monitoring can be done.

“Parents can also make use of smartphone apps and cameras to monitor their children remotely,” she said.

Dr Wan Azizah said the Child Care Centre Act would be enhanced to ensure stronger policies to screen any job involving children, with help from the police.

“From Jan 1, 2019, we aim for all government agencies to have a childcare centre on their premises, especially those that involve shift work.

“The ministry hopes to work with the Education Ministry to also have childcare centres in schools to benefit teachers,” she said.