SA government offers relief to ECD centres
Both centre and non-centre based services are eligible to apply.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2021/02/pexels-gustavo-fring-4173107.jpg)
THE Presidential Employment Stimulus Package is offering relief funding to help Early Childhood Development (ECD) services recover after the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement, the Department of Social Developement said all types of ECD services (registered, conditionally registered or unregistered) can apply for this relief funding.
The deadline for applications is 19 February.
Both centre and non-centre based services are eligible to apply.
Also read: Social Development hails spanking ruling
Non-centre based services include play groups, toy libraries, child minders and mobile ECD programmes.
Organisations that run, manage or oversee multiple centre and non-centre based ECD services, may apply for more than one ECD programme and more than one type of ECD programme.
“If the organisation does not directly employ the staff in the centre and non-centre based ECD service and provides an oversight and support role, then a written and signed agreement must have been in place prior to the 1 March 2020 with each programme applied for, which governs the relationship with that programme and sets out respective roles and responsibilities,” read the statement.
The value of the relief will be a maximum of R4 470 per staff member, made as a once off payment.
Also read: SASSA extends temporary disability and child care grants
“There will be a limit of up to four staff members for ECD centres and up to one staff member for non-centre based ECD services that will be eligible for support. ECD services can only use the funds to subsidise the cost of employment for workers present at the ECD service. In the case of an ECD centre with more than four staff, the full allocation must be used to subsidize the wages of the full staffing contingent,” read the statement.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532.
For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram