Stress on safety, stimulation

The consultation document on early childhood development and care, published jointly by the family and education ministries, holds that children's experiences in the early years have a direct impact on their personal and social development, their achievements in school and on their future lifestyle, life skills and opportunities.

"Children hailing from disadvantaged backgrounds are known to benefit particularly from exposure to activities specifically provided to enhance their development. Early childhood education and care services provide children with the stimulation which they may not be receiving at home, presenting opportunities for them to develop at a similar rate as their peers," adds the document.

The proposed regulations aim to improve the early childhood services currently on offer. A crucial measure will be the setting up of a unit within the Department of Family Welfare to assess applications, register all the centres, regulate training, support the development of good quality services and carry out inspections to make sure standards are being met.

In extreme cases of breach of regulations (where there is serious risk to a person's life, health or well-being) the unit would be able to take immediate steps to cancel the registration or licence of a service.

Under the proposals, day-care centres will have to be run by "suitable and qualified staff, who are adequately trained to deal with children, promote their development, address their needs and ensure their safety".

Carers will have to undergo a "rigorous" selection process that includes security checks, aimed at protecting children from all forms of abuse. A substantial part of this process will be carried out by the unit through the licensing procedure.

It is being proposed that there should be no more than two children per carer in the case of children who are under one; four per carer for children between the ages of one and two; and between six to eight per carer in the case of children between two and three years old.

The carers will work in close collaboration with the parents to promote the children's welfare and development. This would take the form of daily conversations as well as meetings held at least twice a year to review the child's adjustments to care, discuss the child's strengths, health issues and any concerns, provide feedback on the facility and plan the child's transition to kindergarten.

If the proposals are adopted in their current form, a child-care centre would have to include a kitchenette inaccessible to children, a resting area, activity area, separate toilets for staff and children, changing and bathing facilities, and an open-air play area. Children under one would have to be catered for in a separate and enclosed rest room.

The minimum size suggested for a centre is of five square metres per child. It would have to have natural light, proper ventilation, a comfortable temperature and no dampness, as well as "decor to provide a bright and stimulating environment".

In the activity area, various activities would be allocated to different spaces, such as a "home corner" for playing kitchen and dressing up; a "messy play" area for painting, dough and clay; a music area; book area; and a central area with building blocks, jigsaw puzzles and other play items.

The outside play area would have to be partly covered in soft flooring, decorated with plants and flowers, and include equipment such as a sand tray, water play facility and climbing equipment. There would have to be shade for the hotter seasons.

The whole place would be subject to rigorous safety standards, such as out-of-reach power sockets, shatter-proof glass panes, child-proof locks, corners covered with soft protection, walls and furniture painted with lead-free paint and soft furnishings made with fire-retardant materials. No gas appliances would be allowed and fire-detection equipment would have to be in place.

All areas would have to be cleaned daily, and toys and materials regularly. Drinking water would be available to all children at all times and every facility would have to have written procedures on dealing with sick children and administration of medicine.

The educational aspect forms a major part of the document. The facilities, it says, must be "conducive to learning and free from excessive noise and distractions. The use of commercial music, radio and television sets are to be avoided".

"Caregivers shall talk, listen to, and otherwise interact with young infants so as to cater for their physical and emotional needs.

"The children's individual needs will be met and their welfare promoted through the planning and organisation of activities and play opportunities intended to develop children's emotional, physical, social and intellectual capabilities. Each child-care centre will draw up a programme of activities suitable for the various age groups of children being cared for. In no circumstances should children be given homework."

The document says such a programme would include music, movement, arts and crafts, drama, story telling, handed-down text and children's own text-creation as they approach school age. Great emphasis would also be laid on environmental issues, partly through outdoor activities for the older children.

These guidelines also emphasise the importance of physical activity to develop motor skills, bodily control, coordination of movements and mobility. "Rhythmic activities, dance and movement games are therefore an important aspect of the day care/pre-school setting."

There is also a long list of equipment of which "a sufficient number of items" should be provided. The list ranges from dolls and other items of pretend play to books, musical instruments, art equipment, balls of different sizes and adventure gym systems.

Discipline should include positive guidance, redirection and the setting of clear-cut limits that foster the child's ability to become self-disciplined. "Disciplinary measures shall be clear and understandable to the child, shall be consistent, and shall be explained to the child before and at the time of any disciplinary action."

Providers, parents and the general public have been invited to submit feedback on the document, which is available in full at www.education.gov.mt or www.welfare.gov.mt. E-mail: childcare@gov.mt, tel: 2590 3132, 2590 3133, fax: 2590 3135.