Definitions Under the Guidelines
- Day Care Service: Temporary supplemental parental care provided during times parents cannot attend to the child.
- Child: A person six years of age or below.
- Potentially Neglected Child: Child left alone without adult supervision due to mother's employment or busyness.
- Neglected Child: Failure to meet basic needs, including both physical (malnutrition, poor shelter) and emotional neglect (maltreatment, exploitation).
- Abused Child: Child suffering unreasonable deprivation or physical/sexual/psychological injuries by guardians.
- Abandoned Child: Child deserted by parents for at least six continuous months.
- Exploited Child: Child forced or induced to undertake harmful activities endangering development.
- Day Care Center: Barangay facility for children aged three to six, supervised by accredited Day Care Workers.
- Day Care Worker: Trained child care providers administering supplemental care and early childhood activities.
- Sanctuary Home: Licensed foster or child care facility for protective custody.
- Accreditation: Certification that a Day Care Center or Worker meets minimum service standards.
Implementation Guidelines for Day Care Service
- Determination of Needs: Based on surveys, demographic profiles, and health operations.
- Community Involvement: Data is shared with barangay leaders and community to plan establishment of one Day Care Center per barangay.
- Intake Process: Individual home visits and interviews by Supervising Social Welfare Officer (SSWO) including parental consent (not required if child is abused, neglected, or exploited).
- Requirements checked during intake include birth registration, immunization records, child development checklists, and early disability detection.
Services Provided in Day Care Centers
- Child Care: Full or partial day care by accredited workers supervised by SSWO.
- Early Childhood Development activities include value formation, mental stimulation, and supervised play.
- Monitoring of children’s growth and nutrition with referrals for malnourished children to DSWD feeding programs.
- Sanctuary Services: Placement in foster homes or licensed child care facilities for abused, neglected, or exploited children.
- Barangay support systems ("Bantay Bata") established for immediate response, prevention, protection, rehabilitation, education, and advocacy.
- Referral System for Pregnant Mothers: Encouragement for prenatal and neonatal care, supplemental feeding, and training of traditional birth attendants (hilots).
Selection and Qualification of Day Care Workers
- Must be female aged 18 to 45, preferably with experience, physically capable, of good moral character, and a barangay resident.
- Minimum education of high school graduate required.
- Must undergo training and accept supervision, render full-time service, and sign a contract for at least two years.
- Selection conducted initially by SSWO and Barangay Council or Development Council, with final screening by a Municipal Inter-agency Committee.
Training Requirements for Day Care Workers
- Mandatory on-the-job training for one and a half months conducted by SSWO and Day Care Worker-Trainor before assuming duties.
Accreditation Standards and Procedures
- Separate minimum standards established by the DSWD Bureau of Child and Youth Welfare for Day Care Workers and Centers.
- Regional or provincial offices conduct assessments, forwarding to the Bureau for accreditation certificates.
- Private NGOs must have a license to operate to obtain center accreditation.
- Grounds for suspension/revocation include immoral use, neglect, unsanitary conditions, hazardous locations, incompetence, and violations of DSWD policies.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Regular monitoring by Regional Office with SSWO visiting centers quarterly.
- Technical assistance provided to maintain standards.
- Periodic audits by the Bureau assess service effectiveness.
Eligibility Criteria for Monthly Allowance
- Must be an accredited Day Care Worker at an accredited Day Care Center.
- Required to conduct two daily sessions (four hours each) covering early childhood development activities throughout the year.
Transitory Provisions
- Previous accredited Day Care Workers earn allowances retroactive from January 1991.
- Workers managing two centers receive only one allowance; concentration on one center mandated from 1992.
- New workers from 1991 receive allowance upon assuming duties and accreditation.
Agencies Responsible for Implementation
- Sangguniang Barangay implements the program, may engage private volunteers.
- DSWD responsible for criteria formulation, setting standards, coordination, and protection of abused children.
- Department of Interior and Local Government tasked with organizing Barangay Council for the Protection of Children.
Fund Allocation
- Monthly allowance for accredited workers is at least P500 from DSWD budget.
- New centers in depressed barangays subject to fund availability; LGUs expected to provide financial support.
- The Office of the President may extend financial aid from health program funds sourced from official foreign aid or debt arrangements.