More than 200 day-care facilities have been registered to date across the nation.
The registration and licensing of these facilities are part of the Social Protection Ministry’s Early Childhood Development Programme.
The Bacchus Play School, one of the childcare facilities that were licensed in Region Two
This was disclosed by the Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), Ann Greene, in an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI). The CCPA has been working tirelessly to monitor and boost the level of service provided by early childhood/day-care facilities.
The Social Protection Ministry has been highlighting the importance of adequate documentation for early childhood/day-care centres. To this end, the agency has been working to ensure the licensing of these facilities. The centres are required to first register, and once having met the necessary criteria, the facilities are then licensed.
The standards outlined for accreditation entail completion of a registration form provided by the CCPA, possession of a valid police clearance, a food handler’s certificate, and medical certificate. These documents are then submitted to the CCPA for the approval.
The criteria were framed by the Guyana Fire Service, and the Buildings and Public Health Unit under the Georgetown Mayor and City Council. Implementation is a statutory requirement of the Childcare and Development Services Act of 2011. The Act was assented to by President David Granger and gazetted in September 2015.
In May this year, for the first time, 13 childcare facilities were registered in Essequibo, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), and as recent as July, another 13 childcare facilities were registered and licensed in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). The CCPA will be visiting Berbice in the coming weeks to complete evaluation for registering and licensing.
