Mr Ng Shi Xuan asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in the past five years, how many licensees of early childhood development centres have failed to give at least six months’ notice before ceasing operations; and (b) whether the Ministry has considered enhancing the statutory penalties or taking other measures to minimise the impact of sudden closures of such centres.
Answer
1 Under the Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) Act, Regulations and Code of Practice, licensees are required to provide at least six months’ notice to parents and the Early Childhood Development Agency, or ECDA. Operators that breach these requirements may face regulatory actions, including warning letters, financial penalties or being barred from applying for future preschool licences. An average of 26 preschools per year have failed to give at least six months’ notice before ceasing operations in the past 5 years.
2 ECDA takes such regulatory breaches seriously and will continue to reiterate the need to meet the regulatory requirements to all operators. Incases of abrupt cessations, ECDA’s priority is on the continuity of care for children. We will take steps to mitigate their impact on children and parents, such as assisting affected parents who require help with the placement of their children in alternative preschools.