MELAKA, Oct 18 — The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) aims to set up more than 150 childcare centres (TASKA) at public sector workplaces by end of next year, said its Deputy Minister Hannah Yeoh.
She said the setting up of the childcare centres, among others, was to encourage women in uniformed bodies, such as nurses, teachers and those in the police force, to continue working and provided with childcare facilities.
“A threefold increase in allocation in 2020 Budget will further expand the early childhood education industry in the country and we hope more TASKA will be built next year, including by the private sector,” she said.
She told reporters after opening a childcare centre at the Melaka police contingent headquarters here today. Also present were the State Women, Welfare and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Ginie Lim Siew Lin and Melaka deputy police chief Datuk Shahrul Laili Masduki.
In 2020 Budget, the government has proposed to increase the allocation from RM10 million in 2019 to RM30 million in 2020 for more childcare centres to be built, especially at hospitals and schools.
According to Yeoh, based on the audit report last year, 540 government agencies still do not have childcare centres and based on statistics by the Social Welfare Department, there are 12,523 childminders nationwide, but only 4,624 of them or 37 per cent possess the required certificate.
Meanwhile, Lim said six new childcare centres were built in Melaka from the nearly RM1 million allocation received this year.
The childcare centres included the one at the State Road Transport Department, which was allocated RM185,000, she added.
— BERNAMA
