Khairin Nisa calls on parents to send children to licensed centres.
THE Johor Welfare Department (JKM) has registered 68 previously unlicensed childcare centres under a special task force led by the state government.
Johor women, family and community development committee chairman Khairin Nisa Ismail said the task force comprised the police, local councils, health department, and the fire and rescue department.
“The task force was introduced in May this year, and we have visited every district, seeking unlicensed childcare centres.
“From the 78 premises that we identified, only 10 have yet to be registered.”
She said the main reason for the delay was red tape from government agencies involved in the process of issuing licences.
The task force was introduced following a case of two babies being abused by their caretaker at a childcare centre in Taman Mutiara Rini in May.
“The matters of abuse have been dealt with immediately through the coordination and close cooperation between the agencies within the group,” said Khairin Nisa.
All childcare centres need approval letters from three government agencies before they can apply for a licence to operate.
“Any childcare centre without a licence and approval from the three agencies will be shut down immediately, under Section 20a of the Child Care Centre Act 1984,” Khairin Nisa stressed.
The state government will also continue to defend the welfare of the children, she assured.
“I believe there are cases that we don’t know about because they are unreported, which is why our weekly inspections are important.
“Parents should also play their role in ensuring their children are sent to a centre registered under JKM,” she advised.
