There are a total of 621 schools in the Winelands that cater for early childhood development (ECD) and the Department of Social Development is urging parents to enrol their little ones.
A solid ECD foundation is every parent’s guarantee of future success for their children, in matric and beyond.
The department requires ECD facilities to be registered, as this allows for them to provide funding and inspections, to ensure compliance on health and safety aspects as well as the quality of the ECD curriculum.
In this financial year alone the department has invested more than R314 million with the target of reaching 81 000 children.
It is also working to bring the estimated 1 700 unregistered facilities into compliance.
As part of its efforts to improve the quality of ECD services, the department has identified ECD centres that will form part of a special programme for English language and cognitive development. The programme is targeted at 100 areas where school readiness is poor.
The initiative also establishes support systems for parents, to equip them better in reinforcing what their child is learning at a registered ECD.
Parents in the Breede Valley who wish to locate their closest ECD centre, or check on the registration of their ECD centre, can visit the local Social Development office or call the hotline on 0800 220 250.
