TABUK CITY, Kalinga – In a meeting today with the members of the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC), the Provincial Social Welfare and Development (PSWD) identified and explained the major areas used in the assessment of both public and private child development centers (CDCs).
These areas include health, nutrition and safety; physical environment; interaction and relationship between staff and children; staff qualifications, staff development and continuing education; curriculum, instruction, and assessment; family involvement and community linkages; and leadership, program management and support.
The child development worker, Punong Barangay, barangay nutrition scholar, barangay health worker, and parent-teacher association president are present during the assessment. Following the examination, a maximum of 210 points might be obtained to evaluate the degree of CDCs.
According to Dana Aquino of the PSWD, each level has a specified number of years of validity of the center. Level 1 is three years, Level 2 is 4 years and Level 3 is 5 years.
The Punong Barangay must pay a P500.00 fee at the City Treasurer’s Office and submit a letter of intent to the City Mayor thru the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) in order to evaluate a CDC.
A window of six months to a year is allotted to CDCs who failed to comply with the assessment, the necessary paperwork, and the center’s amenities.
Additionally, Aquino stressed that CDCs must be properly registered six months before starting any early childhood program.
After obtaining all required documentation, a permit to operate will be granted to the same. The final step is the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council’s recognition, which comes three years after the center’s founding.
Based on the records of the CSWDO, there are 113 CDCs. Four CDC centers situated in —Pinagan, Bantay, Cabaruan Sur, and Agbannawag National Child Development Center—were rated as Level 2. Level 1 applies to seventy-two (72) centers, while assessments are currently pending for the remaining 37 centers.
Enhancing CDC services is one strategy to support high-quality early childhood education.
Additionally, it directs the creation of early childhood care services and programs, promoting observation and ongoing assessment. By Darwin S. Serion
