Lee (center) and staff sanitising the toys at the centre. – Photo by Chimon Upon.
KUCHING: The Association of Registered Childcare Providers Sarawak welcomes the decision to reopen childcare centres and nurseries in Sarawak soon.
Its president Ng Lee Boon said all childcare centres that are registered with the association are ready to reopen and comply with the SOP.
“Moving as one in providing quality child care service in Sarawak is our promise towards the parents and children under our care,” she told The Borneo Post today.
Ng said they have been waiting for the green light from the government and prior preparations have been done by the childcare providers since May 12.
This included sanitising and conducting thorough cleaning of the premises and setting up social distancing environment according to the nursery standard operating procedure (SOP) as announced by Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development.
“We would like to give credit and thank the ministry for the support in engaging the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) to sanitise the premises,” she told The Borneo Post today.
With the availability of the SOP for nurseries and childcare centres, Ng said the association members, staff and parents held a meeting to go through the SOP to ensure everyone is familiar with it.
Among the SOP are that only children with temperature below 37.5 degree celsius are allowed at the centres, each child will be given given individual toys and stationery which will be sanitised after use, frequent hand washing for the children, and only a small group of children are allowed per child care provider, she added.
“We need parents to co-operate with us with the SOP. Together, we minimise the risk to protect the children.”
“The main challenge is in keeping our promise to parents to keep our premises clean and safe. The biggest challenge during the pandemic is for parents to trust us and have the confidence to send their children to us.”
An association member Linna Kho Chey Guak said she felt happy but worried at the same time over the announcement as the children most probably would not know how to practise social distancing.
“We have put up signs inside and outside the compound as per the SOP and will have a final meeting with staff and parents this Friday to inform them of the SOP,” she said.
She hoped that all parents would be honest, and inform the centre if they have come into contact with a sick person.
At the same time, she suggested for the same parent or designated person to drop-off and pick-up the child everyday.
“If possible, older people such as grandparents or those with serious underlying medical conditions should not pick up the children because they are more at risk group.”
Kho who owns Taska Di Rumah Bulan 101, has been operating the childcare centre for 12 years and was previously a secondary school teacher.
Lee (right) and a staff member placing the mattresses one metre apart in the nap room. – Photo by Chimon Upon.
Another nursery operator who only wished to be known as Jazemine, said she had mixed feelings when she heard of the announcement in allowing childcare centres and nurseries to reopen.
“I was the happiest, relieved and at the same time nervous. Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, I had a major breakdown and stress during the pandemic as we are not operating, hence no income,” she added.
“Thanks to our president Madam Ng, who has been working hard in attending meetings, giving us the latest updates and information during this time, and we have followed the SOP and are prepared for reopening.”
As part of the preparation, she said she will hold a meeting with the staff and parents to brief them on the SOP.
She added that many things need to be done before the reopening of the childcare centre as they are dealing with “fragile little human beings”.
On the other hand, she said parents play a very important role too, to co-operate with child care providers and the SOP.
Meanwhile, a supervisor of childcare centre at Mile 3 here Anna Lee, said they will inform parents once they received green light to reopen.
Currently, the centre is taking measure to space out the seats at the dining area and napping area to ensure that there is social distancing among the children, aside from sanitising and deep cleaning the premises.
“It will be hard to keep the children apart as they don’t understand social distancing but we will try our best. We will monitor them, and talk to them that they can talk to their friends but not too near.
“When the centre reopens, the children will have their temperature taken outside and hands sanitised before they can come in. And when they come in, they will be brought to wash their hands before touching anything.” she said.
Yesterday, the Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said her ministry will be getting the endorsement from the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) on re-opening of childcare centres and nurseries in the state.
On the same day, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in his daily update informed that all childcare centres and nurseries were allowed to operate now that the SOP for them has been refined.
Previously only 304 centres nationwide were allowed to reopen during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) with basic SOP in place, while the remaining 6,696 centres remained closed.