KUCHING: The Women, Welfare and Family Development Ministry is looking forward to having more childcare centres in the workplace this year.

Its Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said the government had been emphasising on this very vital support system for working parents a facility where their young children would have access to quality childcare.

She noted that Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) recently received their operation licence for a childcare centre, having fulfilled various conditions required for its registration under the ministry.

“There is a government grant of RM200,000 available to any ministry, government department or agencies to set one (childcare center) up. Fees will be subsidised. The community childcare centres also get subsidies but only if they are registered (under the ministry),” she said, adding that there had been no reported cases of child abuse in childcare centres or kindergardens in the state.

“This is where the registration is important. It ensures many, aspects such as safety. If there is no safety compliance, we won’t issue the licence. Once registered, the risk of abuse is reduced and safety (of children) is better monitored.”

Currently there are 138 registered childcare centres across the state, 56 of which are in the process of getting registered.

Fatimah said this after launching Angel Childcare Centre at Jalan Song here yesterday. She was accompanied by Assistant Minister of Early Childhood Education and Family Development Rosey Yunus, and a delegation of teachers from Dalat, who hope to learn about how to improve childcare centres back home.

Angel Childcare Centre is owned by Dr Cheong Yaw Liang and his wife Katerina Kolushkina, who is also its principal. Opened last November, it currently has 12 children under its care.