Bermuda Parent Bermuda Parent Spring 2020 | Page 9

care settings includes visiting Day Care Centres and home Day Care Providers on a regular basis. Between September and December last year, the officer completed a total of 78 visits to the 41 Licenced Day Care Centres and 58 visits to the 55 Home Day Care Providers. These visits can be for a variety of reasons: complaint investigation, monitoring visits, request for assistance from the day care centre owner/ operator or provider. We document all of these visits and complete follow-ups where necessary. In addition, the Child Care Regulation Programme oversees the vetting of staff (350 +) and home day care providers (55). This includes requiring: a criminal background check, medi- cal clearance form, a Department of Child and Family Services review, and references. The DCFS form and the Criminal Background check will be redone every two years and the medical clearance form, every five years. The Programme is also critically aware of the importance of Early Childhood Education and the need to support the persons who are caring for our children to advance their learning. Ninety percent (90%) of brain growth occurs before a child enters first grade (5-years-old) and 80% of that growth has occurred by the time the child is 3-years-old. The quality of the child’s experiences during this time of incredible growth has a lasting impact on their future. While a baby is born with all of the brain cells they will have for the rest of their life, as they grow and develop it is the con- nections between these cells that make the brain work and are vitally important. The early years are the best opportunity for a child’s brain to develop the connections they need to be healthy, capable and successful adults. Dur- ing these critical years, our children have many important persons in their lives that will take part in shaping them and can include – their parents, grandparents, other siblings, and their caregivers. The Department of Health estimates that 90% of Ber- muda infants and toddlers, are in a child care setting – day care center or home – before school age. This care can be anywhere from 4 hours to up to 9 hours a day. That is a lot of time for the child to learn, grow and develop. That is why it is critically important that the persons who care for our chil- dren in Day Care Centres or in their homes for up to 9 hours a day have the education, support and ongoing guidance to assist with the critical development our children need. There have been a lot of changes in the Child Care Sec- tor, but as everyone can agree – we need higher standards for our children. They all deserve the best start in life and that begins from birth. We need to support those persons who care for our children outside of the home and everyone needs to be onboard to make this work. For more information and a list of Licenced Day Care Centres and Registered Day Care Providers visit: https://www.gov.bm/ child-care-regulation-programme and if you have any questions or concerns you can contact the Child Care Regulation Programme on: 278-4900 or [email protected]. mybermudaparent.com 7