The Office of the Children’s Commissioner reiterated its calls for further training for childcare workers and periodic spot checks in the wake of reports of maltreatment at childcare centres.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo revealed last week that 60 such cases had been reported to the authorities over the past year. None of the reports were related to cases of maltreatment by the children’s own parents, which are handled separately by Appoġġ.

In a statement, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner said it was crucial that child day-care centres provide high-quality care.

The commissioner’s office said it had been working in close contact with the responsible authorities to update the National Standards on Child Day Care, guided by the principle that centres should provide child-centred care that protects children from harm and promotes their social, emotional and cognitive development.

It reiterated its recommendations for further in-service training for childcare workers, to reinforce their expertise and be kept up to date with new research and innovative practices.

This training, the commissioner’s office said, could be supported by mentoring, to enable childcare workers to learn while being supported in their work.

The office also called for inspections of childcare centres to be carried out not only on the basis of complaints or reports but also through spot checks aimed at ensuring centres were operating in accordance with established standards.

“Childcare centres should always strive to be transparent in their activities by allowing parents physical and/or visual access to their children,” it added.

“It is highly recommended that all premises hosting childcare centres are covered by CCTV cameras in order to safeguard the best interests of both children and carers.”

Replying to a parliamentary question last week, Mr Bartolo said that  about one in four cases of maltreatment was related to the ratio of carers to children, or the maximum number of students in a class.

A further 20 per cent of cases were related to negligence by carers themselves, while a similar number concerned altercations and issues between the children.

Other reports concerned matters such as cleanliness and health and safety.

The minister said every report had been adequately investigated and the necessary steps had been taken to resolve the issues.

The education authorities have inspected every single centre since the ministry took the responsibility for them in July 2016 and have also met with the legally responsible person for each one to improve the quality of service.

The government, Mr Bartolo added, was currently gearing up to inspect once again the roughly 107 centres operating across the island by the end of November.

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