THE state government is allocating RM300,000 per year for a period of three years until 2023 as grants to upgrade child care centres, the State Assembly heard today.
Chong Eng (PH-Padang Lalang), who is in charge of the Social Development and non-Islamic Religious Affairs, said for the first quarter of this year, the state government has approved grant applications from 11 nurseries and child care centres totalling RM194,138.98.
“This grant is intended to help ease their financial burden and also improve the quality of their services,” Chong Eng said when replying to a supplementary question by A. Kumaresan (PH-Batu Uban) who had wanted to know about the state government’s efforts to improve the care centres’ services.
Kumaresan had earlier asked about the number of registered and unregistered operators running nurseries, kindergartens and care centres for the elderly in the state, and the measures taken by the government to monitor them in the oral session.
To this, Chong Eng said: “There are 123 registered and 45 unregistered taska (nursery) operators, 461 registered and 86 unregistered tadika (kindergarten) operators, and 28 registered and 56 unregistered care centres for the elderly.
“The state government, through the state Social Welfare Department and the state Education Department, regularly monitors the unregistered centres to ensure that operators immediately register their operations and comply with the act, rules and conditions set in operation.
“Warning notices are also issued to unregistered operators. In addition, the state Social Welfare Department also ensures that self-assessment is made by the care centre operators through the MyKendiri system.”
Kumaresan said he was concerned with the safety of the unregistered operators, citing cases of unlicenced care centres for the elderly in his constituency not arranging vaccination for the residents during the Covid-19 pandemic that resulted in infection clusters.
He also mentioned of cases of abuse of children and the elderly and hoped that the authorities would pay attention and take necessary action.
Chong Eng added that the state government would hold briefings and dialogue session with the unlicenced entrepreneurs to provide information related to the registration process which has been simplified.
She said the state government would deal with the issue with care as they could not close down the unlicenced centres immediately, taking into consideration that children and elderly folk are involved.
“Where are we to place them if we shut down the centres? It not like confiscating items from businesses that do not comply with the rules and regulations,” she said.
To improve the skills and teaching techniques of pre-school teachers, she said Whytehouse Education Group Sdn Bhd has developed an online teaching platform, called Preschooleducator.com.
“The state government has partnered with Whytehouse to fund fees for the first 1,000 people,” she said.
Chong Eng said her office, in collaboration with the state Social Welfare Department, Penang Island City Council, Penang Fire and Rescue Department and the local government, held a consultation service with unregistered entrepreneurs in Penang on May 17-19.
Out of the 41 taska entrepreneurs and 62 care centres for the elderly present, 21 taska and 34 care centre for the elderly were eligible to be considered for registration.
Chong Eng said those who faced problems were given explanations and guidance by relevant agencies.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Alissala Thian & Adleena Rahaya Ahmad Radzi
Video by Ahmad Adil Muhamad