(FP)

Owners and operators of private day nurseries are reminded that their licences expire on January 31.  This includes owners of family day care centres who provide care for three or more children other than their own within their homes.

Failure to register by January 31 of each year may result in closure of the day care centre, or a penalty, which is a fine of $500 and/or six months’ imprisonment.

Applications for the renewal of licences must be accompanied by a Certificate of Inspection from the Fire Department, a Certificate of Inspection and an appropriate Food Licence issued by the Ministry of Health, current medical certificates for all staff, and current Food Handler Certificates for all persons dealing with food. Certificates of Character from the Royal Barbados Police Force for all staff, and an application fee of $50.00 are also required.

Meanwhile, persons applying for the first time must have the above documents, in addition to a Certificate of Registration of the business from the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office, and a proposed programme of activities for the establishment.

Deputy Director of the Child Care Board, Denise Nurse, has advised owners and operators to start their registration as early as possible as the process could be time consuming. However, she stressed that registration was absolutely necessary to avoid the closure of centres.

Any changes to original applications, transfers or relocations must be reported in writing to the Director of the Child Care Board, Fred Edghill Building, Cheapside, St. Michael, as inspections must be carried out before permission can be granted.

Owners or representatives of registered centres are also reminded that they must visibly display their certificates from the regulatory agencies at all times, as well as submit statistics to the Child Care Board at the end of each month, and attend all quarterly meetings being hosted by the Board.

For further information regarding the registration of child care centres, persons should call the Child Care Board at 535-2800.

paula.harper-grant@barbados.gov.bb

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