Gov't fails to uphold promise to supervise daycares after abuse incidents

Focus on government regulation of private daycares was renewed after a series of high profile incidents of child abuse in daycare centers around the country in recent years.

By TZVI JOFFRE
A DAYCARE CENTER in Jerusalem. [Illustrative photo] (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
A DAYCARE CENTER in Jerusalem. [Illustrative photo]
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The Welfare Ministry has failed to hold up to its promise to apply and enforce the Daycare Supervision Law as it did not present regulations for the implementation of the law to the Knesset on Wednesday, according to the Israel National Council for the Child.
The Daycare Supervision Law is meant to be applied to daycare centers for children ages zero to three attended by at least 7 children.
Before the law was passed there was no oversight over private day care centers, allowing anyone to open a center without a license and without any regulated standards of safety or supervision.
Focus on government regulation of private daycares was renewed after a series of high profile incidents of child abuse in daycare centers around the country in recent years.
The implementation of the law has already been delayed multiple times, leaving daycares without supervision despite the law having passed almost two years ago.
Vered Windman, executive director of the Israel National Council for the Child, called the failure an "unparalleled disgrace."
"Once again the Labor and Welfare Ministry arrived with empty hands to the Knesset Committee for the Rights of the Child to allow the implementation/activation of the supervision law and without organizing a subsidy for the installment of cameras in daycares," said Windman.
"Regulations that were supposed to be submitted almost a year ago, remain in the drawer, despite an explicit commitment from the Labor and Welfare Minister given to the Committee for the Rights of the Child just a few days ago," added Windman. "The disgrace of non-implementation of the law has far-reaching consequences for the lives of children, for their right to dignity, health and development and the government must do day and night to prevent the danger of these damages occurring before the start of the school year."
Windman stressed that the Israel National Council for the Child will petition the High Court of Justice to oblige the government to uphold the law if the regulations are not approved in the coming days.
Tamara Zieve contributed to this report.


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