The government is developing a National Care Policy aimed at regulating daycare facilities across the country to enhance the safety and welfare of children.
Principal Secretary for the State Department for Children Welfare Services, Carren Ageng’o, said a team has been deployed nationwide to collect public views that will inform the development of standards before the policy undergoes public participation.
The initiative seeks to streamline the operations of daycare centres and ensure the safety of children amid rising cases of child defilement and abduction in the country.
Speaking at Lwala Kadawa Secondary School in Kisumu County during a motivational forum and thanksgiving ceremony, Ageng’o said the government was committed to putting in place practical measures to support effective implementation of the policy.
“The implementation process requires practical tools to support effective execution. One of the key tools we have adopted is the development of standards to guide implementation. Over the past few weeks, my team has been traversing the country, gathering public views to inform the development of these standards. Meanwhile, we await the conclusion of the ongoing public participation process,” she said.
The move comes at a time when new labour regulations have raised the minimum monthly wage for domestic workers to Ksh18,047, prompting many parents to opt for daycare facilities.
At the same time, the PS weighed in on calls for the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools, saying it is not a solution to the growing cases of student unrest and would be contrary to the provisions of the Children Act.
Instead, she urged parents to take greater responsibility in raising and guiding their children, noting that discipline begins at home and that children should be taught to take responsibility for their actions.
Ageng’o emphasised that parents must be directly involved in the upbringing of their children, adding that incidents of unrest have only been reported in a few schools and therefore cannot justify the return of corporal punishment.
Other stakeholders echoed her sentiments, accusing some parents of neglecting their role in shaping their children’s character while overprotecting them. They noted that some parents undermine teachers by openly criticising them in the presence of their children, weakening respect for authority and discipline in schools.
