KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Sarawak Ministry of Women, Children, and Community Wellbeing Development (KPWK) is encouraging employers in the public and private sectors to establish childcare centres or nurseries in their respective offices.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, however, said finding a suitable location for a nursery within an organisation frequently posed a problem.
“Therefore, we hope that in the future the local authorities will be able to look at this matter, especially involving the construction of new buildings for large organisations or corporate bodies.
“A special building or room to create a nursery must be included in the building plan,” she said when met by reporters after a visit to the nursery at SeDidik Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) today.
As such, she said employers could also modify existing rooms to provide a nursery at workplace, which was frequently being recommended.
“We are also ready to help in terms of advisory services regarding the components that must be present, which needs to be complied with in order to be approved in terms of operation to obtain a license.
“This is because the provision of nurseries is important in order to provide a support system for workers, especially young parents who have just given birth or started a family.
“With a daycare centre, parents can work well because they know their children are in a safe place, and this will also contribute to productivity,” she said.
During the visit, Fatimah spent some time with the children at the UNIMAS nursery and was accompanied by the deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International) Professor Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit and other representatives.
She also disclosed that KPWK had implemented the Quality Early Childhood Education Institution Award (IPAKK) in 2022 and the nursery at SeDidik UNIMAS workplace had been awarded the 2022 Quality Nursery Award.
“Despite that, we also need to constantly strive to improve the quality of the operating premises, including taking security issues seriously in order to increase confidence among parents and provide a comfortable place for children,” she explained.
Also held yesterday was the symbolic handing over of funds in conjunction with the start learning to save programme to encourage children to save from an early age.
So far, Sedidik UNIMAS Child Care Centre has 70 children. aged from six months to four years.
As of Dec 30, 2022, there are 3,062 Early Childhood Education Institutions (IPAKK) registered throughout Sarawak and 228 of them are nurseries registered under the Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKMS).
Hence, there are 16 workplace nurseries registered throughout Sarawak and nine of them are under the supervision of SeDidik Sdn Bhd. with a total of 347 children while the rest are handled by KEMAS and the private sector.
