The City of Cape Town says it has helped over 200 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres become compliant, ensuring young children can thrive in safe, legal spaces.

Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Francine Higham, stressed the importance of supporting ECDs, and ensuring they can formally register with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), as they play a fundamental role during the most formative years of development.

“ECDs provide essential care and early learning opportunities for thousands of children across our City. Ensuring that these facilities are compliant is important because it helps protect the safety and well-being of children, while also enabling ECDs to access registration and funding support that allows them to grow and improve their services.”

She further revealed that several ECDs face immense challenges with complex municipal requirements, including land use, building safety, fire protection, and environmental health.

“The City’s role is to help navigate these processes, remove obstacles where possible, and provide the guidance and support needed to move centres towards compliance.”

Higham explained that through its Community, Arts and Culture Development Department (CACD), the City provides hands-on support, coordinating with multiple departments and offering practical guidance.

“Since July last year, CACD has engaged 56 ECD forums, facilitated compliance for five centres, and helped 212 centres progress toward meeting regulations.”

To simplify the process, CACD launched the ECD Modernisation Tool, an online system that helps operators with registration, building approvals, health compliance, and fire safety inspections, keeping them updated via SMS and email. Officials also provide training for caregivers, practitioners, and parents.

More information on how to register an ECD centre and the compliance requirements is available here: https://bit.ly/47DjCCB