THE CHIEF Parliamentary Counsel has been given instructions by Cabinet for the drafting of a Bill to address early childhood education, care and development.
This Bill will be a companion to the legislation for the establishment of an Early Childhood Commission.
Information Minister, Colin Campbell, who made the announcement at Monday's post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, said the Bill was intended to provide a comprehensive framework for all aspects of early childhood education, care and development, including the development of policies for the regulation and licensing of day care centres, basic schools and other early childhood institutions.
He explained that it would address in detail, the certification of early childhood trainees; the development of early childhood provisions for professional development; accreditation of training programmes; co-ordination of services, provisions and programmes; and resource mobilisation, public education, communication and research.
The Minister said that concerns about the large number of unregulated early childhood and day care institutions and the fragmentation and insufficient co-ordination of services delivered by the various ministries led the Government in 1997, to develop a policy for the integration of early childhood services.
The new policy, among other things, included the transfer of the Day Care Unit from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture.
"While there are new joint functions and numerous efforts are being made to ensure integrated approaches to management and services, none of this is reflected in formal policies and legislation," Mr. Campbell said.
The Minister noted that through wide and extensive stakeholder consultation and input, a common set of policies and standards for the operation and management of all early childhood institutions have now been drafted.
