KOTA KINABALU: In view of recent cases involving child accidents in childcare centres, Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid urged that training courses for childcare centre operators and carers be reviewed.
“More emphasis should be given to the methods and approaches used in existing training courses for childcare centre operators, managers, supervisors and carers, such as those involving infants and child CPR and community first aid and safety, and those on getting infants to sleep and feeding.
“This is to ensure that the quality of childcare at these centres is at its best especially in ensuring the children’s safety and well-being,” said Jainab, adding that all parents and carers should be equipped with knowledge of basic emergency aid and skills.
Jainab was speaking at the launching ceremony of the state-level World Children’s Day 2014 at the Pacific Sutera Harbour here yesterday.
In her speech, Jainab reiterated calls to get every party involved in upholding the rights and wellbeing of children as a whole in view of recent issues involving children like negligence, abuse, and baby dumping. The government, she said, had provided for policies and socio-economic programmes that were apt and sensitive to children’s needs, including relevant legal Acts and institutions such as the Kota Kinabalu Children’s Home which functioned as a centre to provide protection for victims of negligence, abuse, and abandonment.
According to statistics, there had been a total of 44 negligence cases, 54 sexual abuse cases, 35 physical abuse cases, and three baby-dumping cases recorded as of September this year. As of the said period, statistics also recorded an alarming number of children and youths involved in crimes, including bullying.
“While the government and its relevant agencies have been organising various prevention programmes, parents still play the most important role, especially in ensuring their children are not perpetrators of bullying.
“Born innocent and naïve, children are like a plain white cloth and it is the parents’ responsibility to design them. Children deserve the utmost love and attention.
“Even though my ministry through the Welfare Department is responsible for the welfare of children in the state, it is every person’s responsibility to protect children from these issues to enable them to grow in a conducive environment,” she urged.