Creches still face uphill battles with registration
This was the general consensus that came out of the Early Childhood and Development (ECD) Indaba on Tuesday 18 August at the Frog Centre in Woodlands.
Childcare centres from all over the city attended the information session and most had questions relating to compliance and registration.
Amanda Mbali, the community engagement activist for the Centre of Early Childhood Development, said the centre currently meets regularly with the mayor to address the problem.
“When it comes to registration, there are so many departments involved,” Mbali said.
Unregistered ECDs don’t qualify for subsidies, training or resources from the City, but the registration process is laborious, requiring multiple compliance certificates, building plans and business portfolios.
Convoluted process
The process is also often hampered by red tape which Mbali said shows the city has a lack of understanding about how the majority of ECDs actually operate.
She made an example of negotiations around ECDs needing traffic compliance certificates that the centre had had with the City .
“The impression was that there would be multiple cars coming around the same time for drop offs. We explained that most mothers come on foot with their babies strapped to their backs or take taxis or buses to nearby points,” she said to nods of understanding.
ECDs also frequently incur fines or penalties while trying to get compliance certificates, which deterred many from the process, Mbali said.
“The City was under the impression that you guys are thriving businesses,” she said, which was met with shocked laughter or grumbles. The reality, Mbali said, was that ECDs operated mostly as non-profits that were born out of a need in the community and many struggled to make ends meet.
Centre advocates for ECDs
Mbali said that the centre met with the mayor’s office every two months to streamline the process and remove unnecessary red tape and have already had some successes, such as the removal of the admin penalty for ECDs that apply for registration after having already been active for some time.
The centre is also in discussions with the City for ECDs to no longer pay development charges.
“We are advocating with the City so that you don’t have to pay that money because it is unaffordable,” Mbali said.
She advised that for the time being, ECDs don’t appeal existing charges but apply for exemptions instead.
Also at the Indaba were representatives from various City departments.
Kholeka Adonis from the department of social development said that crèches who also had aftercare services attached, needed additional registration.
Crèches needed to register with the education department but aftercares needed to register with the department of social development. The same compliance certificates were needed for both registrations but the certificates needed to make it clear that both services were being offered.
Tahira Kassiem of community arts and culture development said the City Department helped ECDs with compliance.
“We know that becoming compliant is a journey,” she said. “We try to hold your hand through the process.”
She advised educares to come directly to their department first.
