Parents and guardians from the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara have been reminded of the importance of investing in the early childhood of their children.
Yesterday, close to 1,500 residents including children, flocked the West Demerara Secondary School compound to participate in the first-ever Expo and Culture event, hosted by Region 3’s Early Childhood Development Association in collaboration with the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA).
Addressing the large crowd at the opening ceremony, the Department of Public Information (DPI) said that the region’s Licence Officer of Early Childcare Centres, Zalika Williams, said most persons believe that daycare centres are about childminding; “But Guyana has moved past that,” she stated.
Williams said that the initiative was organised to showcase the daily work being done by caregivers and how it seeks to stimulate a child’s cognitive and physical development. from the earliest stage of his/her life.
“They say unity is strength, so the agency saw it fit to bring the organisations together and this can work as an inspiration for parents to enrol their children in an early childhood centre or pre-school and by the time they are ready for their nursery education, they are well socialised and well-learnt,” Williams said.
Executive Officer of the Early Childhood Development Unit of the CPA, Lavern Thorne highlighted that the demand for care outside the home has increased over the years, because of the large number of mothers joining the workforce. “Practitioners at these facilities are tasked with ensuring the needs of all children are met. The care and education they receive at this period of their lives will contribute to their overall development and will lay the foundation for long-term physical and mental health and set the stage for lifelong learning,” Thorne said.
DPI said that the event saw close to 50 centres exhibiting different aspects of early development, through the demonstration of Art, Craft and storytelling booths.
