Dr. Enaya Ezzeddine, Head of the Women and Children Parliamentary Committee, said on Monday that some licensed daycares in Lebanon do not meet the required standards of operation and emphasized the importance of implementing new measures to ensure children’s psychological and physical health. This meeting follows another committee meeting to discuss the issue of daycares in Lebanon, in the wake of the latest child abuse incident that made headlines earlier this month.
According to Al-Markaziya, the meeting was attended by the Ministers of Public Health and Social Affairs in the caretaker government Firas Abiad and Hector Hajjar, respectively, and representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Lebanese Child Protection Association, the Children’s Committee at the Beirut Bar Association, UNICEF, ESCWA, the Karama Association for Child Protection, and the Asil Association for Early Childhood Care.
Ezzeddine acknowledged that “the daycare sector suffers from technical and structural problems, including a lack of coordination among relevant parties when it comes to licensing, standards, service quality, and monitoring.” She also noted that many workers in this field lack expertise, and that academic and professional curricula in the country do not cover daycare specialties.
Ezzeddine called for developing a national strategy in this regard, emphasizing that “investment in this sector is an investment in human beings.” She stressed that the ages of zero to three are crucial and have a significant impact on an individual’s life. She also highlighted how important daycares are in providing help to women and families in the context of the dire economic crisis the country is suffering, pointing out that “working is no longer a choice for many women, which makes nurseries and daycares all the more important.” She noted that “efforts should focus on developing a comprehensive plan for communities to support the family economy and daycare workers’ job security.”
She announced that she had “delivered the results of the study the Women and Children Parliamentary Committee, conducted in collaboration with ESCWA within the framework of work on family health and economy,” then noting that the initial outcome of the study was proposed as amendments to the Labor Law. She called for “standardization, strengthening oversight mechanisms, and implementing the Ministry of Health’s decision to install cameras in all daycares and conduct unnotified inspections.”
Ezzeddine confirmed that “the Ministries of Health and Social Affairs showed remarkable cooperation during the meeting, as Ministers Abiad and Hajjar revealed the measures they are working on in this context.” She requested the Ministry of Health to share information on licensed and unlicensed daycares. This includes oversight measures, compliance schedules, inspection results, accountability steps, and an action plan to address the issue. Additionally, she sought proposals and standards developed by the Ministries of Health and Social Affairs.
Dr. Ezzeddine affirmed that she would “continue to follow up on the issue in the coming period.”
