BY JAMES WONG
AS of May 2023, the Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS) has benefitted a total of 91,163 children, with an allocation of RM91.16mil.
Sarawak Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah highlighted this as one of the initiatives to prioritise access, equity, and quality in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).
“The ministry is also providing support to registered Early Childhood Education Institutions (IPAKK) through the Special Annual Grant (GTK) to ensure the delivery of quality childcare and education services.
“As of April 2023, an allocation of RM57.5mil has been utilised, benefitting a total of 290,621 children,” she said when delivering her ministerial winding-up speech at the DUN sitting on today (May 23).
In addition, the Sarawak government had allocated RM2.5mil to subsidise RM1,000 per student per year for their childcare and early childhood education fees, she disclosed.
“This subsidy is intended to benefit 2,500 children who are currently not receiving any subsidies from the federal government. The ministry will make payments to IPAKK after the completion of the evaluation process.”
Regarding services for children with special needs, a total of 577 children had benefitted from the One-Stop Early Intervention Centre (OSEIC) as of May 2023.
