Pilot project to extend hours of childcare centres starts in October

Six government-run childcare centres will open at 6am and close at 6pm from October as part of a pilot project to extend the hours of service.

Education Minister Justyne Caruana said the participating centres will also open on Saturdays between 6am and 1pm.

The centres that will offer the extended hours are: Il-Kuluri Childcare Centre in Birgu, Il-Ferrovija Childcare Centre in Birkirkara, Pizzi Pizzi Kanna Childcare Centre in Naxxar, Il-Merill Childcare Centre in Pembroke, Żmeraldi Childcare Centre in Ħaż-Żebbug and Ix-Xemx Childcare Centre in Qawra. 

The respective centres will be opening an hour and a half earlier and closing an hour and a half later than usual.

Caruana said a public call for additional staff that will need to be employed to cover the additional opening hours was issued on 18 July.

She said the extended hours would add a further 72 children to the centres’ rosters, equivalent to a 20% increase.

There are currently around 385 children enrolled in 13 childcare centres run by the government’s Foundation for Educational Services. They form part of the free childcare service that started being offered in 2014. Private childcare centres are also enrolled in the free childcare scheme.

The new measure fulfils the Labour Party’s electoral promise to improve and extend childcare services, Caruana said.