SIBU: There is plan for child care centres (taska) and kindergartens nationwide to come under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, told reporters yesterday that this would reduce the hassle of operators obtaining their licence.
“Many child care and kindergarten operators find this difficult as they need to approach separate ministries. Hence, they suggested this to come under one ministry where they preferred it to be under us (Women, Family and Community Development Ministry).
“We will be talking to Education Ministry (MOE) on this matter,” Rohani said, adding that a letter had been sent in.
She clarified that the suggestion was on working together with MOE.
She also disclosed that Public Service Department (JPA) had approved 2,600 new staff for Welfare Department (JKM) nationwide.
She said the priority was to fill the vacant slots.
Asked on contract staff, she said they were under a different programme.
She said most states had stopped the service of such programmes.
She said the contract staff would need to apply through the usual JPA procedure, adding “I encourage them to apply”.
On “Anjung Kasih”, she explained it is a special service for referral hospitals nationwide provided by Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN).
“There is temporary place for those looking after their sick family members in the hospital. Sibu has 64 beds, Miri (31) and Kuching (98),” she said, adding that those referred came from far away places and had no place to stay.
Towards this end, she hoped to launch the “Anjung Kasih” together with “Taska OKU Autism”.
Earlier, making her first visit to the Welfare office here, she was briefed on various assistance given out besides flood preparations.