Public Urged to Detect & Report Illegal Childcare Centres | KiddyNews

Minister says community cooperation is crucial in preventing abuse, neglect and infant deaths at unregistered centres.

Communities have been urged to help authorities identify unregistered childcare and daycare centres amid growing concerns over child safety and infant deaths linked to illegal premises.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said public cooperation was essential in helping authorities detect unlicensed childcare operators that may otherwise go unnoticed.

She said a whole-of-community approach would be more effective in protecting children than relying solely on enforcement agencies.

“Unless we get a response or input from neighbours or community members who suspect that there is such an unregistered institution, they will have to inform us,” she told reporters on Friday.

Concerns Over Child Safety

Nancy said the Welfare Department (JKM) regularly conducts spot checks to ensure childcare centres are properly registered and comply with regulations.

However, she acknowledged that authorities may not always be aware of unregistered premises operating discreetly in residential areas.

The minister’s remarks come days after a seven-month-old baby boy was found unresponsive while sleeping at a babysitter’s home in Bandar Sri Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan.

Seremban district police chief Asst Comm Azahar Abdul Rahim later confirmed that a post-mortem conducted at Hospital Rembau found compression marks on the infant’s neck.

The case has renewed concerns among parents and authorities over the safety standards and monitoring of childcare services, particularly unregistered centres.

Registered Centres to Receive Official Plaques

To help parents identify legitimate childcare providers, Nancy said JKM would introduce plaques for centres that have been officially registered and vetted by the department.

She said the initiative aims to improve public confidence while making it easier for families to distinguish between registered and unregistered operators.

At the same time, Nancy acknowledged that some parents may still turn to unregistered childcare providers due to personal or financial difficulties.

However, she stressed that enforcement against illegal operators would continue.

“Following any surprise visit, if the premises are discovered to be unregistered, action will be taken immediately, and they will be asked to shut down,” she said.

Shared Responsibility to Protect Children

Nancy’s call highlights increasing concerns surrounding childcare safety in Malaysia, particularly as more working families depend on daycare and babysitting services for young children.

Advocates say ensuring safe early childhood environments requires not only stricter enforcement, but also stronger community awareness and collective responsibility to protect children from harm.

Earlier, Nancy launched The Continuing Covenant: Malaysia’s Journey Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a book documenting Malaysia’s progress and experiences under the international convention.

Source:

The Star  – “Community help needed to find unregistered childcare centres, says Nancy”

Thoughtfully adapted by KiddyNews. Keeping parents and educators informed with the latest ECCE developments from Malaysia and beyond.