Georgetown: Some 230 of the 364 Early Childhood/Day Care centres located countrywide were registered by the Ministry of Social Protection’s Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) in 2017, while 84 were licensed.
This was revealed by CPA’s Early Childhood Development Manager, Concheeta Gray during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), on Wednesday.
Gray told DPI that once the facilities (day and night care, after-school care, home-based care and play groups) are licensed, it means that they would have met the minimum standards in keeping with the regulations for child-care centres.
Daycare owners and early childcare providers must satisfy the criteria outlined by the Guyana Fire Service, and the Buildings and Public Health Unit of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council before they are certified. This entails completing the CPA’s registration form, providing a valid police clearance, food handler’s certificate and medical certificate to be accredited.
CPA’s Early Childhood Development, Executive Officer, Lavern Thorne further noted that “It is a two-fold process; in order to be licensed you have to be registered and in order to be registered there are some documents you have to provide to the agency. After that, once you would have been above a certain grade you will be eligible for a license.”
Gray also explained that Early Childhood officers are working with daycare owners and early childcare providers who have not met the minimum standards, to craft a developmental plan that will guide those centres through the process of becoming licensed.
The Early Childhood Development Unit is responsible for monitoring early childhood facilities, daycare, playgroup, home-based care and night care, ensuring that the nation’s children are cared for in an environment that is conducive for learning.
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