INFANT CARE CENTRES

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INFANT CARE CENTRES:

(Qualifying professional criteria for operators and staff): 9.

Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) what are the qualifying professional criteria for operators and staff of infant care centres; and (b) whether quality control is being exercised more stringently with this type of centres bearing in mind the vulnerability of infants.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: All infant care centres are licensed under the Child Care Centres Act. Operators must fulfil the standards set for staffing, safety, health and hygiene. MCYS imposes even higher standards for infant care centres compared to child care centres. These include a higher staff-to-child ratio, having specific areas dedicated to infant care use, stricter hygiene and nutrition practices, and specialised staffing.

MCYS imposes a minimum ratio of one staff to every five infants and on top of this, we expect the operators of infant care centres to employ staff with a Certificate in Infant, Toddler Care and Development (CITC) or its equivalent. Carers need to go through a one-month course – which I have been told lasts at least 160 hours – including a Practicum,

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and they need to pass a test before they can be certified. This ensures that the carers will have the necessary skills and the knowledge in areas such as infant and toddler development, as well as environmental and curriculum design. Infant care centres are required to ensure that a certified carer or registered nurse is present in the premises at all times during the centre's opening hours.

Infant care centres must also provide sufficient dedicated space for the care and developmental needs of their infants. For example, facilities for diaper changing, napping, food preparation and feeding must be adequately provided for.

In addition, approved procedures for routine tasks such as diaper changing, sterilisation of milk bottles and preparation of bottled milk must be strictly adhered to. Centres are also required to have a daily observation record and documentation on each infant and the record will capture information on the feeds, naps, bowel movements and other related parameters. Centres also need to maintain a three-monthly record of the height and weight of each infant and all these data will be shared with parents.

My Ministry will continue to monitor infant care centres closely to ensure that they continue to provide a safe and nurturing environment for all infants.

Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta (Nominated Member): I have one supplementary question and three suggestions. Firstly, how often are spot checks conducted in infant care centres, and does the Ministry announce the visit before the MCYS officers visit? I ask this because I have heard that their visits are often announced beforehand; hence, the purpose may be defeated.

My first suggestion is to improve the working conditions –

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Mr Speaker: Prof. Mehta, can you give your suggestions at some other time? We have a long list of questions. Just ask your question, please?

Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta: Okay. Then can I change my suggestion to a question?

Mr Speaker: As long as you keep it short, please.

Assoc. Prof. Kalyani K Mehta: Has the Ministry considered the idea of greater transparency in quality of services of childcare and infant care as I had mentioned in my Budget speech earlier this year?

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Thank you for your suggestions dressed up as questions. You are right. Our spot checks currently are conducted with the prior knowledge of the centre operators. Basically, my staff, and I agree with them, take the attitude that this is a long-term relationship and a partnership. We are not just out there looking for opportunities to find faults and to compromise the standards of care.

But having said that and having visited infant care centres myself, if a centre is not adequately provided for in terms of facilities, in terms of quality of staff and certification of staff, it will be evident. You cannot hide it just because I have given you a few hours' or even a few days' notice.

On the other point on transparency – as I had answered during the COS debate, and I agree with the Member – we will provide more information online so that parents can choose. But really, at the end of the day, a parent will have to go and visit the centre, interact, engage the teachers and decide for himself or herself whether these are people whom they trust to care for someone very precious at the most vulnerable stage of their life.