Starting a childcare involves many steps. Fret not, here is a step-by-step list to guide you.
First of all, start with registering with the Companies Commission of Malaysia. – SSM. The commission is known locally as Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM).
There are many forms of company you can consider based on ease of setting up the company or limits of liability. There are the sole proprietorship, partnership, LLP, Sdn Bhd. If you are looking for advise and someone to help incorporate compnay registration, do look up the services of 3E.
For Nursery (Taska) and Childcare Center (Pusat Jagaan Kanak Kanak) under JKM, one will need to have approval from JKM in terms of name of the Nursery or Childcare Center you want it named as.
2. Deciding on Which Type of License, submit your registration
For childcare licenses, there are nursery, called Taska here in Malaysia (birth to four years old), daycare center (four years old to 17 years old), where these two licenses are issued by JKM, Jabatan Kebajikan Malaysia. As for kindergarten (five and six years old) and tuition or enrichment centers licenses, MOE, Ministry of Education is in charge of these.
Deciding on which license to apply for will determine what kind of age group you can cater to and the different requirements of staff. Nursery caters to babies and as such, there is an additional requirement for care-givers to have a certification of KAP. New care-givers are given one year to obtain the cert if you happened to employ one without. As an owner of a nursery, it is required that you or one of the owners (if you have a partnership) has the KAP cert. As for opening a kindergarten, besides an age restriction, MOE requires that you follow the local curriculum hence no such thing as an “international curriculum” for kindergarten license.
3. Approval from local authorities
Since you are starting a childcare center business, you will need approval from the local authorities, Fire & Rescue Department, and Health Department for your premises. It is mandatory for all childcare centers to register with the Department of Social Welfare (DSW). The local name for the commission is Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Malaysia (JKM) under the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development (MWFCD). Once the business registration process is complete, you will be issued a TASKA Registration Certificate.
The MWFCD is responsible for the approval and establishment of childcare centers in the country. The JKM acts as the main regulator and coordinator of Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) programmes. The Childcare center Act 1984 was passed to maintain the standards of childcare centers in the nation. Thus, every established childcare center must operate in compliance with the Act.
The Act covers issues on registration; monitoring and inspection of the childcare centers; and protecting the interests and safety of the children [against any negligence and abuse]. The Childcare center Act 1984 has then been reviewed and passed by the Parliament, giving rise to the Childcare centers (Amendment) Act 2007.
