Child day care services in Seychelles |10 October 2020

Anse Aux Pins day care

Care for young children in Seychelles has evolved from the traditional model where children were being cared for in the home by family members to one outside the home where child care is provided by professional child minders or child day care centres. Such a transition is similar to what is happening worldwide, where development has impacted on the structure of the family as well as on the roles of women.

Child day care facilities have thus become an essential service offered in support of the community, in particular, working parents and their children. It facilitates women’s socio-economic integration into society, and additionally, provides a hygienic, safe and stimulating environment for the development of young children.

In Seychelles there are 3 kinds of child day care services, all of which are fee paying:

• Home-based child care provided by child minders in their own private homes
• Private child care provided in private centres
• Privately owned child care centre in government owned buildings or centres.

Records for the year 2017 from the Ministry of Education indicated that there was a total of 26 child day care centres in the Seychelles, which are, together with home-based child minding, offering child day care services to around 2013 children below four years. Majority of the child day care centres are located in somewhat the same districts.

Every year, the government of Seychelles allocates a portion of the national budget to fund the construction of child day care centres in districts. This is a commitment to further facilitate the implementation of the policy that guarantees that our youngest generation continues to have access to quality early learning and care facilities and encourages parents to resume or take up employment so as ensure the subsistence of their families.

It is therefore of paramount importance and in line with the Early Childhood Education and Development, selected operators are suitably qualified and competent to deliver a high standard of service. Thus ensuring that every child has a winning start.

The department responsible for Local Government is thus mandated to:

• Construct and make necessary provision to safeguard the premises of all child day care centres;
• Organise the official opening ceremony of newly constructed and converted centres in collaboration with district administration offices
• Coordinate with panel to select qualified individuals to operate the centres;
• Prepare lease agreement and
• Manage and monitor the provision of services by the operators to ensure community satisfaction.

During the past three years, the ministry has constructed two new day care centres (Takamaka and Grand Anse Praslin); and undertook two conversions; district administration office into a day care in the district (Glacis) and a Chapito (Anse Aux Pins). These centres are now ready to be occupied and since early 2020 (noting the Covid-19 pandemic delay period) the department has embarked on a transparent and accountable procedure to select a suitable operator to manage these government day care centres.

Selection process

The selection process aligns to the existing Public Procurement Act 2008 and prescribes that applications are evaluated by an adhoc evaluation committee composing of a representative from each key partners involved in early childhood development – IECD, Social Services, Education and Local Government and an independent individual.

STAGES

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

• Daily Seychelles NATION newspaper on Wednesday June 24, 2020.
• Procurement Oversight Unit’s and Local Government department’s website on Wednesday June 24, 2020.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION

• Thursday July 16, 2020

APPLICANTS

• Eighteen (18) applicants from Mahé and two (2) applicants interested on Praslin had collected the EoI documents before the deadline for submission of EoI on Wednesday July 1, 2020.

• Only Fifteen (15) out of the twenty (20) applications forms collected submitted their letter of interest

-          Fourteen (14) Mahé

-          One (1) Praslin

Totalling to fifteen (15) applicants submitted their interest by the deadline submission date.

OUTCOME

• Of the fifteen (15) applicants shortlisted, six (6) applicants qualified as per the department’s criteria.
• One withdrawal was recorded remaining five (5) applicants.
• One appeal (1) was received among the applicants who participated in the Tender.
• The 2^nd Phase will proceed after the outcome of the appeal has been decided and this will entail the following:

1. Inviting the shortlisted bidders to pre-bid meeting (Receiving their Tender document)
2. Bidders to submit their proposals.
3. The department’s Evaluation Committee to evaluate bids
4. Standstill period (for any challenges or appeals)
5. Signing of contract.
6. Mobilisation period of operators

PROPOSED OPERATIONAL DATE:

• January 2021

Contributed