Cape Town - The City of Cape Town urged parents to invest as much time in finding a suitable pre-school as they would when selecting primary and high schools.
“Unfortunately, too many people still view early childhood development as little more than a babysitting service. They simply do not understand the importance of constructive learning and personal development required by young children,” said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Social Development and Early Childhood Development, Suzette Little.
Little urged parents to do their homework when looking for early childhood development centres such as pre-schools, educare facilities, or daycare mothers. “There’s a massive scrum to get children into good primary and high schools, but cognitive development starts long before grade one,” said Little. “So why are we not putting the same effort into a good pre-school education?”
Little listed the necessary requirements parents could look out for when searching for a suitable ECD centre.
This included a lease agreement, a health clearance certificate, an emergency evacuation plan, copies of qualifications and identity documents of staff who would be responsible for the ECD programme, an ECD daily programme, a child nutrition and wellness programme, and someone trained in first-aid and a first-aid kit on site.
Little acknowledged that some ECDs struggled in their attempts to become registered facilities, but urged ECD operators to “help create enabling environments for the children in their care”.
“Ultimately, that is what matters but it requires everyone to do their part,” said Little.
ANA