The City of Cape Town continues to build on its support of the Early Childhood Development sector, with a number of initiatives in the offing and others already well under way.

Since July, the Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department has facilitated the handover of fire safety equipment, first-aid kits, and learning materials to ECD centres to help them towards compliance with national ECD norms and standards. The sessions also include training around fire safety awareness, first-aid, organisational development, and the ECD curriculum.

A total of R600 000 has been set aside for this initiative and 120 ECD centres identified by their local ECD forums are set to benefit from it. The training is designed to build capacity, safer communities and ensure economic inclusion – all priorities within the City’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan.

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The Department is also collaborating with the Western Cape Department of Social Development on annual ECD registration drives city-wide. Facilities are required to register with the provincial department, but registration hinges on a number of factors, including compliance with fire safety, health and building regulations that fall within the City’s ambit.

‘The Children’s Act is very specific on the requirements for childcare and I encourage day mothers and ECD operators to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the Act as a yardstick to determine how well they’re doing. We understand that many facilities struggle to become compliant as a result of factors beyond their control, but we cannot deviate from the legislation and compromise child safety,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.

The Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department is also continuing its build programme this year, with the construction of the newest ECD Centre in Heideveld. Earlier this year, construction was completed on similar facilities in Delft (pictured) and Athlone.

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‘The facilities are built in accordance with the provisions of the Children’s Act and areas of construction are guided by the findings of a study completed in 2009 that identified areas most in need of childcare facilities. However, we need to accelerate the pace and are currently investigating alternative building methods, particularly for informal settlements,’ added Alderman Smith.

The City constructs the purpose-built ECD facilities and leases them to private operators. ECDs also lease other City-owned spaces deemed appropriate for their purposes.

‘I call on parents to invest the same energy into choosing an ECD for their children as they would a primary school. Far too many people still believe that the real learning starts in Grade 1, when in fact children’s cognitive development starts much earlier. So, parents please do your homework and ensure that the ECD you have in mind meets all of the requirements to give your child the best possible start to their school career,’ said Alderman Smith.

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