Project Registration ECD Centres

End of May former member of the board Frans Labberton left for Cape Town for nine months to assist with an ECD center registration program. This program is designed in recognition of the fact that large number of Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres are unable to meet the requirements set out by government on their own. Currently only a minority of the approximately 3000 (known) centres are registered and adequately funded. For many others lack of knowledge and means proved too large a step. 

Not being registered means, among others, not being able to access WC Provincial per capita subsidy and therefore no sustainable future for many of the facilities, its staff and obviously the children attending. Getting centres into the system is key, also from a quality point of view as this implies meeting standards for leadership, staff training, formal requirements for the organisation, minimum outfit, curriculum, safety standards etc.  

The project under the responsibility of the Western Cape (WC) Provincial Government will de facto be run by sixteen local organisations in the field of ECD, two of which we partnered previously: Learn2Live (2015) en CECD (2010).

Geographically limited to the Capetonian deprived areas, the project is composed of a number of parts (phases), the 1st being a Fact Finding Mission (FFM) starting with the arrival of Frans. Apart from assistance with the registration model we need to test this too to see if it works as required. The FFM therefore will be followed by a Pilot Projectplan (PPP) to include practical support including physical upgrading of the buildings in use where needed. FFM and PPP will be completed within two months maximum. If and when the model works the next ‘Roll Out’ phase will commence. Details can be found in concept projectplan.

Nb. Frans will work under responsibility of the (Dutch) Board of Stichting Mzamomhle and temporarily step down as a board member during the project. Frans agreed to volunteer for this project. He will be in SA on a rotational basis. He will be reimbursed for expenses made.