April 2017 was a busy month for the staff of the Regulatory Affairs Section at the Institute of Early Childhood Development (IECD). Two training programmes were in full implementation stage whereby a new group of thirty-one Home-Based Childminders from Mahé and Praslin were attending a Pre-Registration Sensitization and Training Programme. At the same time, seven registered Childminders from Praslin and La Digue were being trained in Basic Paediatric First Aid.
The new group of Childminders attended sensitization and training sessions based on the IECD (National Standards on Childminding, Regulations 2016). The Childminders have been sensitized on the standards relating to Health, Child Rights and Protection, Staffing, Safety, Early Learning, Interaction, Administration, Nutrition, Family and Community Engagement and Physical Environment.
Family photo after the Certificate presentation ceremony
The training programme, organized by IECD, is mandatory for all Childminders before they can proceed to registration.It was jointly facilitated by external facilitators from the Early Childhood Care and Education Sectors; Health, Family & Social Affairs, Department of Youth and Sport and Education as well as the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency.
Mr Jones Madeleine and Childminder Jacqueline Laporte extinguish a fire
The training programme kicked-off on Saturday 1st April with an introductory meeting for the Mahe-based Childminders. The same meeting took place on Saturday 8th April for Childminders based on Praslin and La Digue. The trainees have altogether completed approximately 56 notional hours of training and are now expected to be more familiar with the national standards and have acquired more knowledge and skills. The Childminders have been given a window period of about seven months (up to January 2018) to initiate implementation of four mandatory standards in preparation for registration.
Seven registered Childminders followed two-days of training, in the Red Cross Society office on Praslin, on Basic Paediatric First Aid facilitated by the Red Cross Society of Seychelles. Both groups of Childminders have completed their training and were awarded with their Certificate in a special ceremony on the 30th June on Mahé.
Recipients of the Basic Pediatric First Aid Certificate
