Second cohort of childminders complete training |04 July 2017
A total of 31 childminders who recently completed the re-run of the pre-registration sensitisation training programme on the national standard, along with four registered childminders who have completed their basic First Paediatric First Aid Training have received their certificates.
The certificate ceremony took place last week at the Seychelles Trading Company’s (STC) conference room in the presence of the Minister for Family Affairs Jeanne Simeon, Institute of Early Childhood Development (IECD) chief executive Shirley Choppy, the chairperson of IECD board Captain David Savy, principal secretary for local government Marie-Celine Vidot, childminders, among other guests.
The pre-registration, education and training programme enabled the childminders to familiarise themselves with and better understand the national standard.
The national standard on childminding consists of 10 standards with four established as mandatory compliance therefore forming the basis for registration. Parents and children who use the services of childminders can expect to receive a consistent minimum standard of care, no matter where they are in the country.
Also as part of the requirements under the mandatory standards, all registered childminders should undergo training in basic Paediatric First Aid. This specialised training was offered by the Red Cross Society of Seychelles in collaboration with the institute.
The four registered childminders who received their certificate in the basic Paediatric First Aid are Elisette Bibi, Livianne Farabeau, Odile Freminot and Emilie Lesperance.
Captain Savy pointed out that in recent years they have witnessed significant policy developments and changes in the early childhood sector in Seychelles.
“This ceremony is a further confirmation of the government’s commitment to the holistic development of children in Seychelles. In partnership between the government of Seychelles, IECD, World Bank and social partners in ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education), standards for childminding services have been developed, training of childminders have been initiated and today we salute the second group of childminders who will be implementing the standards in their childminding establishments to provide ECCE services,” he said.
He added that the childminders play a key role in providing better education to our children “by creating a favorable environment for all children to have a winning start in life and for care-givers and other service providers, particularly the childminders and the parents, to play their central role in ensuring that children’s early experience are rich, holistic and developmentally appropriate,” he said.
Diana Anacoura, who received her certificate in the re-run of the pre-registration sensitisation training programme on the national standard, has been working with children for the past five years and was able to gain more experience from that training.
“This training was very interesting and I was able to enhance my knowledge on how to better take care of children. I was able to acquire more techniques about safety of the children among others,” she said.
Childminders have been educated and trained on all of the 10 standards which include various aspects of early learning, interaction, health, nutrition, safety, children’s right and protection, staffing, physical environment, family and community engagement and administration through theoretical as well as hands-on experience based training sessions.
During ceremony the chief executive of Cable and Wireless Seychelles, Charles Hammond, donated a cheque for R226,000 to IECD. The great gesture from Cable and Wireless will help support the project.
Also STC provided a gift voucher for the value of R500 to each childminders who have completed their training.
It was Marie-Jona Radegonde from STC who presented the gift vouchers to Mrs Choppy.