Malaysia

This is a good comparison article. It's not so different in the West. It kind of shows you why standardization is so impossible.

Malaysia Star
Child Care Is N Child’s Play

It’s a familiar dilemma: Finding someone to mind the baby when the parents are at work. The solution for thousands of affected families: the so-called ‘babysitter’. The result? A burgeoning industry comprising mostly unlicensed and untrained child-minders and day care centres. It’s a situation that Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil finds highly unsatisfactory and she tells DAPHNE LEE how she plans to tackle the problem.

As a working mother of three, I know how hard it is to juggle a job and family. However, I have a relatively easy time as I’m lucky enough to have the help of a wonderful Indonesian nanny.

Kak Kholida has looked after my three children, lovingly and competently, from birth and, before she came to share our home eight years ago, she helped out at the home-based day care I sent my eldest son to. The lady who ran that place was also an excellent carer and an ex-staff nurse to boot.

Many other parents are not as fortunate. While they hope for quality care for their children, reality dictates that their priority is finding a babysitting service that is located conveniently near their home or workplace. Naturally, cost is also a consideration.

Of course, all parents hope that their children will be well cared for, but not many expect day care facilities to provide more than supervision and regular and well-balanced meals. Even safety, which everyone would agree is of supreme importance, often seems to be taken for granted.

Boom-bang-a-bang ... Nursheila receiving some TLC from one of the young ones at the country’s first community day care centre.Devi, an IT technician with a 15-month-old baby and a three-year-old, declares that the most important thing for her is that her children are given good food and get enough rest at the babysitter’s.

“The minder is a friend of my mother’s,” says Devi. “She runs a clean household and my kids are not exposed to cigarette smoke or foul language.”

She is taken aback when asked if the babysitter is familiar with first aid procedures like cardio-pulmonary resuscitation or the Heimlich manoeuvre.

“I’ve never asked her or even thought about that,” she admits. “Actually, I doubt that she would know how to do those things. I chose this babysitter simply because she has experience.”
Others assume they have chosen the right babysitter based on word-of-mouth.

Sales clerk Loke, a father of a three-month-old baby girl, for example, chose a day care centre that was recommended by friends. “This centre has been operating for many years so it must be a safe place to leave my daughter.”

However, the recent case of the death of two-and-a-half-month-old Brandon Teh while in the care of child minders has given Loke pause. “Yes, I am worried, but we are both working and there is no one else to look after the baby. At least the day care centre I use has a good reputation.”

Brandon’s parents probably felt that they were leaving their baby in good hands too, but found that their faith was misplaced when he died from asphyxiation at his day nursery.

The couple, Vincent Teh and Rowena Yong, are currently in the process of taking legal action against the Petaling Jaya nursery and its owner, citing criminal negligence as the cause of their son’s death.

The nursery was apparently operating without a licence. While this is worrying, it is actually the rule rather than the exception for nurseries and other childcare facilities to run without a permit. Statistics released by the Social Welfare Department at the end of last month show that, nationwide, a mere 1,831 childcare centres are issued with permits.

“It is a real problem,” acknowledges Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil during an exclusive interview with StarMag.

“Childcare centres come under my ministry and it is very important that these places are safe for children and deliver quality care.”

Shahrizat gets up close and personal with some of the children at Taska Penyayang Bakti.Shahrizat says that the ministry, with the Social Welfare Department, is doing its utmost to encourage day care centres as well as home-based carers to register themselves.

“The care of children from birth to the age of four comes under the department,” explains Shahrizat.

“The department is in charge of issuing permits to childcare centres. However, it can only do so on the condition these centres meet the approval of the local authority, the Fire and Rescue Department and the Health Department.”

The minister adds that because local authorities tend to see day care centres as business enterprises, permits have to be renewed on a yearly basis.

“This we feel is unfair and impractical,” says Shahrizat, “because we feel that childcare is really a social service that is very important to the proper growth and development of a child. So, we are trying to help as many centres as possible to register themselves.”

Shahrizat says parents who use day care facilities could help by finding out if the service they use has a permit and informing the ministry or the department accordingly.

There is a penalty of a RM1,000 fine or two-year prison sentence for the owners of centres without a permit. However, the minister prefers to use a non-punitive, humanitarian approach in encouraging centres to apply for permits.

The interview was conducted at Taska Penyayang Bakti, a childcare centre in Kuala Lumpur that is the first of 10 that will be launched, nationwide, by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and the Social Welfare Department this year.

These centres will be run by associations or organisations that are recognised by the Government and will receive grants to subsidise the cost of caring for the children and ensure that they are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

“We are very excited about our centres,” enthuses Shahrizat while playing with the children of the taska, which is located in Bandar Sri Damansara.

For the past one year the ministry has been reviewing the Child Care Centre Act 1984 and has been talking to childcare practitioners and others involved in children’s welfare.

“What we realise is that are many gaps in the curricula and infrastructure of childcare centres, as well as the law governing them.

“I’m happy to say that we are now ready to submit proposals to amend the Child Care Centre Act. These amendments are based on concerns for safety, quality of care and the training of child minders.”

Shahrizat says she hopes that the government-recognised day care centres will set a benchmark for quality care. “These centres will provide the best in early childhood care and education. They will have trained staff as well as the best facilities.”

She adds that she wants to encourage staff of day care centres to enrol in the 19-day basic childcare course, conducted by the Social Welfare Department.

“The course costs just RM480 and covers essential topics such as nutrition and hygiene and storytelling and physical activities. It is a small price for operators to pay if they want their staff to deliver the best care.”

Taska Penyayang Bakti, which will be officially launched in June, is run by the Association of Registered Childcare Providers Malaysia (ARCPM) and all the carers at this centre are experienced and have done either the basic or advanced childcare course.

“The first three to four years of life is a critical time in a child’s mental, physical and emotional development so it’s very important that children should be given the best care during this period by trained care-givers,” says ARCPM president Norsheila Abdullah.

Shahrizat agrees that this fact cannot be stressed enough. “That is why we are planning a holistic approach in our childcare initiatives.

“Our community day care centres are just the tip of the iceberg. We also encourage home-based babysitters to attend the basic course and register with the department.”

Perhaps the most encouraging news about the new community day care centres is that the services they offer will be available to low-income families at a subsidised rate.

“Those who earn less than RM2,000 a month will pay just RM100 a month,” says Norsheila.
“However, parents who earn more may also enrol their children as it is hoped that the centres will be places that promote social as well as racial integration. Of course, priority will be given to low-income families.”

Would parents like Loke and Devi consider sending their children to a community day care centre?

Both say that it would depend on the location of the centre, and Devi adds, “It really does not matter who runs a centre as long as the children are treated well and not abused or neglected.

“Advanced learning techniques and modern equipment are a plus, but the most important thing is a caring environment where the children experience joy.”

Shahrizat would approve of such sentiments. She says, “It is important to prepare children to face life by giving them the best education, but we must never rob them of their childhood.”

For more information on the guidelines for setting up nurseries in Malaysia, contact the Department of Social Welfare’s Law and Advocacy division at 03-2697 1090 or go to the department’s website at jkm.gov.my.