Govt to strengthen regulation of preschools and day care centres

Colombo, April 30 (Daily Mirror) - Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj has said that there is a need to further expand and strictly enforce legal and policy provisions in light of recent concerns over the safety and wellbeing of children in early childhood development and day care centres.

She made these remarks during a recent meeting held with the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development.

The Minister said that Provincial Preschool Units established under Provincial Councils are responsible for the registration and regulation of early childhood development centres, including preschools, while child day care centres are registered under Provincial Probation Departments and regulated by the National Child Protection Authority.

Although registration is mandatory for the operation of such centres, authorities pointed out that the regulatory process has become complicated, with some centres operating without proper registration alongside other educational institutions and businesses.

The Minister further said that existing and proposed standards for establishing and maintaining preschools and day care centres will be communicated to owners, caretakers, teachers, and parents, while an efficient online registration system will be introduced to streamline the process.