KUALA LUMPUR: Only 45 applications were submitted for grants to build child care centres (taska) at government premises nationwide this year, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff said 34 of them were approved, involving some RM5.5 million out of the overall allocation of RM30 million for the purpose under the 2020 Budget.
"The other 11 applications were rejected as they did not fulfil requirements set by the ministry," she said in reply to a supplementary question by Hannah Yeoh (PH-Segambut).
Among those approved were 16 new child care facilities for the Health Ministry, Education Ministry (10), Higher Education Ministry (two), Youth and Sports Ministry (one), Prime Minister's Department (one), as well as Terengganu, Pahang and Kelantan state governments.
She said various initiatives were carried out to assist government staff, especially the front liners to ensure their children were cared for while they were at work.
She said 38 nurseries at hospitals nationwide were already in operation throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO) period involving 699 children.
Five nurseries at public (government) workplaces and institutions were approved by the Health Ministry and the National Security Council, she said.
"We strive to disseminate information on the grants to ensure more government agencies are able to benefit from them.
"We have applied to the Finance Ministry (MoF) to channel the remaining allocation, in addition to funds under the MoF, totalling RM35 million as special aid for existing taska operators under Penjana (economic stimulus package)," she said in reply to a supplementary question by Yeoh.
Siti Zailah earlier said under the special aid, RM5,000 was channelled to each deserving taska operator at government agencies and institutions; RM1,500 each for taska operators at workplaces.
"We also encourage the setting up of taska at workplaces by providing Permata's online early childhood care training for the operators and caretakers worth RM900. A total of RM9 million was allocated under Penjana to cover the course fees," she said.