The Brong-Ahafo Region has only 87 out of 408 Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDCs) registered with Department of Social Welfare throughout the country.

Again, out of 1,348 Caregivers manning the 408 Centres, only 353, representing 26.19 per cent of them are professionally trained whilst the remaining 995, indicating 73.81 per cent are untrained.

Madam Phyllis Emefa Senyo, Brong-Ahafo Regional Director for the Department of Social Welfare, disclosed this at a closing ceremony of the Region’s 10-week training course for Care-givers – 2014 year group of ECDCs on Thursday in Sunyani.

Twenty-One participants, comprising 20 women and a man, were drawn from Drobo, Goaso, Techiman, Duayaw-Nkwanta, Seikwa and Sunyani, with some being graduands of Senior High School (SHS).

Madam Senyo emphasised that the statistics showed that Brong-Ahafo was not doing well in ECDCs registration and training of Caregivers, adding, “This picture depicts only the situation in the case of known Centres”.

She therefore warned of drastic measures to be taken against Centres that were not registered and those that had not renewed their registration.

Madam Senyo stated that Centres without trained caregivers would be sanctioned by either suspension or closure, saying lack of training could affect the quality of children the Region turned out at the basic level.

“These children form the foundation of the country’s educational system and if they are not well-trained and nurtured what then does the future hold for the nation?” Madam Senyo quizzed.

She therefore entreated managers of the Centres to endeavour to entice more qualified personnel into the care-giving industry through adequate motivation like reasonable salaries, allowances and in-service training.

Madam Senyo said the training was effective as participants were trained in both theory and practical aspects of care-giving and expressed the hope that the graduands would put what they had learnt into practice to make a positive impact.

Madam Olivia Avudzega, Principal of Social Welfare Training School, said this year’s training programme covered areas including “Establishment and Management of Day-Care Centres” “Methods of teaching young children”, “ First Aid”, “ Child Development”, “ Care for children with special needs”, “Fire and Safety” and “ Food/how to handle food”.

Very Reverend Father John Kofi Takyi of Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, Techiman, who chaired the ceremony, said such programmes had a three-tier purpose, saying it benefited the individual participant in terms of academic and skill provision, parents and guardians and even the Churches in terms of Sunday school teachings.