One good news to working parents is the reopening of childcare and day-care centres in most of Penisular Malaysia.
Recently, The Department of Social Welfare (JKM) has announced that Childcare Centers and Day-care Centers are allowed to reopen, with conditions, under the current conditional movement control order (CMCO).
According to The Rakyat Post, the decision came into light after a census held from 23 to 25 October found that fully-operational of these centres were needed for parents that needed to go out to work.
However, the public and private childcare centres or nurseries must adhere to the SOPs and first obtain the approval of the respective Social Welfare Departments (JKM) nationwide.
There is no obstacle for them to operate. The ministry understands the economic sector must function as normal and parents have to go out to work. But every centre must check with the state JKM. The ministry has instructed every state JKM to scrutinise applications for the centres to operate,
said the Minister, Datuk Seri Rina Harun as quoted in Free Malaysia Today.
Department of Social Welfare also listed four conditions that need to be met before the childcare centres are allowed to reopen:
- The childcare or day-care centre must have a valid JKM registration.
- The centre must be constantly adhering to the SOPs of the Recovery MCO, that is the Post-MCO Covid-19 Transmission Prevention Guidelines for the Safety of TASKA Staff and the Social Care Sector of the Care Center, issued by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.
- It must obtain permission from the State Director of Social Welfare using a specific form from JKM.
- The centre must have confirmation letters from the parent’s employer stating the need to work at the office.
Some of the SOPs mentioned by Datuk Seri Rina Harun including parents have to give their children bath at home and complying with the schedule to send their children to the childcare & day-care centre.
The schedule will be set by the centre in order to avoid congestion during sending and taking your children there.
As announced by the Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, CMCO is being enforced in all states in Peninsular Malaysia except Perlis, Pahang, Kelantan until December 6 2020.