Childminders are in line with national standards, report shows |02 September 2019

Through the study, it has been found that most childminders are in line with national standards

A survey conducted by the Institute of Early Childhood Development to assess the level that the national standards for childminding services was being abide to and followed, has shown that apart from a few, most of the childminding services are doing well in applying the standards.

However, while the majority of the set standards were being practiced by the childminding services a few gaps need to be addressed in some of their practices.

The results of the study were shared with stakeholders from Mahe, Praslin and La Digue on Saturday morning during a meeting at the conference room of the Seychelles Institute for Teacher Education, Mont Fleuri.

The survey was conducted by independent consultant, Dr Andre Leste between August and September 2018 and it involved visiting and talking to 51 registered childminders and 369 parents on the three islands.

Present at the dissemination exercise were the Institute of Early Childhood Development (IECD) chief executive Shirley Choppy, IECD board chairman David Savy, representatives from the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, the Ministry for Health, childminders and parents.

Some of the results in the report presented by Dr Leste state that childminders in general have the necessary experience and a wide knowledge in childminding, have a high level of compliance to environmental and fire safety, interact very well with parents, have a high level of compliance for the preparation and provision of meals, have knowledge in child protection, have a very high level of compliance for basic indoor facilities, most are financially stable among others.

Some of the challenges found which need to be addressed include a lack of resource materials for early learning; gaps in safety aspect, hygiene and child development; poor level of first aid; lack of first aid requirements and proper storage of medicines; problems with regards to observing and recording on child development and poor compliance in storing and labeling of nutrition such as milk; poor level of compliance for bathroom safety, personal hygiene and oral hygiene and poor outdoor facilities for children to enjoy among others.

In the end, Dr Leste noted that all parents look for when in search of a childminder is location, a clean environment, reputation of good care, experience in child care, quality of childminder, accepts babies, caring assistant among others.

All of the childminders who spoke to Seychelles NATION said the findings will surely help them to improve on areas of weakness but some also said that IECD puts too much pressure on them which at times make it hard for them to operate.

“The results look to be very positive and they give us an idea where we are doing well and also where there’s a need for improvement,” said Sabrina Pointe, a childminder from Baie Sainte Anne Praslin and with six years’ experience in the field.

“We spend a lot of money buying things that children break and the fact that IECD implements the quota system for only 10 children per childminder, it does not allow us to break even as we have to find extra money to pay for the broken items and also to pay the thirteenth month salary of our assistants. We as owners we don’t get a thirteen month salary,” a group of childminders said, noting that this is the reason why some have quit childminding as it is not profitable.

But the report reveals that most childminding services were making a profit except for 11 centres which were not breaking even.

Lianette Morel, director for home-based childminding services, said based on the finding, the IECD will study the results so as to work on new strategies to address the challenges that have come out from the report. She noted that it will also include the suggestions and comments put forward by childminders during the plenary discussion. Ms Morel also said the IECD will present the results individually to each childminder and will work with them to address their challenges.

The IECD conducted the survey last year by means to assess the implementation of the 10 national standards adopted in 2016 aimed at promoting best practices for childminders and consequently to raise parental awareness on early childhood care and education.

Work to draft of the National Standards started in 2013.