The reasons why the Charlestown day-care centre was closed

Sep 17, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
Please refer to a letter captioned, “The Mayor is about to end a vital service to Georgetowners,” published in the Thursday, September 14, 2017 edition of your newspaper. The Georgetown Municipality is at a juncture where it is assessing the services provided to citizens and rearranging the way these services are provided. Hence, merging and restructuring of Departments and Sections are necessary considerations if the Council is to deliver quality services and remain financially viable.
The Council took a decision to close the building that housed the Charlestown Day Care Centre for two main reasons: The physical condition of the building is inconsistent with standards proposed by Ministry of Social Protection for licensing of Day Care Centers in Guyana. The Council wants to make it pellucidly clear, that it is not seeking to deprive citizens of this vital service but the health and safety of the City’s children are of utmost importance.
Also, it is no longer realistic to provide this service at the present location since the total number of children enrolled was 15 fifteen and staff assigned to the site numbered six. Further, six of the fifteen children became eligible for Primary School and left the Centre. The parents of the remaining children were offered places at other centers of their choice. Re-assigning the children has allowed the Municipality to maximize human and other resources.
The Council views Day Care Services as a vital Municipal Service and a moral and social obligation to its valued citizens. Over the years, various categories of parents and families have utilized this service, including working parents, single parents, and parents of a single child, large families or where children were left at risk through malnutrition.
The Georgetown Municipality is the premier institution of Day Care Services. The Municipal Day Care Service has been in existence for over eighty years. In 1933, the South Road Day Care Centre known then as the ‘Crèche’ and characterised as a programme for child care for children of employees of the Council. However, because of the diverse needs of the families for this service, day care services were extended to persons outside of the employ of the Georgetown Municipality.
Currently, the Council manages five Day Care Centers situated at South Road Bourda, Festival City, East Ruimveldt and Industrial Site Ruimveldt, with a total population of two hundred and fifty children ranging from 6 months to 5 years old.
In addition, the Council subsidizes the provision of this service since it is cognizant that it is honouring a moral and social responsibility to its citizens.
Debra Lewis
Public Relations Officer

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