Wentworth crèches profiled by govt dept

THE Department of Social Development (DSD) visited early childhood development (ECD) centres in Wentworth during March and April to profile the sites.

In March, national minister of social development, Bathabile Dlamini visited Wentworth in a bid to prove that “ECD is a priority for government”. From this visit, the profiling began, with 25 ECD centres looked at and having their operations reviewed.

“The Wentworth Crèche Forum (WCF) has always believed in an open door policy, in transparency and building accountability of ECD service providers. We are of the firm belief that by working together with government, we can do more for our children,” said KZN programme manager for Save the Children, Mari van der Merwe.

For the past year, Roselind Rose has been put in place by Save the Children to mentor the WCF ECD centres to ensure they all conform to the educational standards set by the government. “Wentworth is the only known area in KZN that has a paid mentor and the benefits are tangible and measureable,” said van der Merwe.

The WCF thanks stakeholders involved in ward 68 War Room meetings for highlighting the concerns of ECD and encouraging community social initiatives with the national minister of DSD and the DSD for their visits.

For information on the WCF, or to join, call chairman, Pearl Windvogel on 084-747-6987.