Proposal for an arrangement: municipal standard for day care centers • a sense of security for parents • security for toddlers

Council members Naama Lazimi and Sigal Tzioni put forward a proposal for an arrangement according to which dormitories for toddlers aged 0-3 will receive a municipal standard mark, if they meet a number of criteria. The meaning: parents knew that the staff members had no criminal record, went through a CPR course, cameras were placed in the kindergarten and more. ..

Standard mark for municipal kindergartens in Haifa: installation of cameras, certificate of training for early childhood care, absence of criminal charges form in the field of occupation, first aid training.

Good news for parents of toddlers. Council members Naama Lazimi and Sigal Zioni are working so that daycare centers in Haifa will receive an urban "standard" for preschoolers.

Naama's words to Zimi:

Abuse of toddlers aged 0-3 may accompany the child throughout his life, I myself am a mother of a baby less than two years old. Such abuse can affect the child's ability to form a relationship and is a lifelong trauma. In addition, at this age the baby is helpless and has no possibility to complain and warn about what is happening. The purpose of the standard mark is to give parents a sense of security that their kindergarten is in contact with the municipal authority. The authority can give a guarantee. Today a parent comes to daycare and has no way of knowing whether the kindergarten teacher standing in front of him has a criminal record. The standard mark will make it possible to know whether the kindergarteners and assistants have a criminal record, whether they have MDA training and more. In addition, the municipality will be able to give training to workers. One of the other requirements in order to receive a standard mark is the placement of cameras.

The goal is to reach a pool of kindergartens with a standard mark, thus both increasing the supervision capacity of the municipality and giving parents a sense of security regarding those kindergartens. The parent will be able to know that if the kindergarten has a standard mark, it meets several criteria, which will be fully defined later.

Lazimi emphasizes that the standard and municipal involvement will not replace the government's responsibility. "The letter of the standard does not remove government responsibility. The dormitories must be under government supervision. The government must guarantee fair working conditions and fair wages. We will provide another supporting envelope."

Recently, several cases of abuse of kindergarteners and helpers in the kindergartens were published, and about a month ago, a large parents' demonstration was held in the Carmel center. "As a mother of a baby girl, I very much sympathize and experience the issue first hand with all the stories that are published. As someone with the ability to influence, I am very committed to the issue and I am happy to be part of the system that can have an impact. It is amazing that you can make a partnership with other council members, like the partnership between Siegel and me, When the same subject is in our hands."

Lazimi also notes that in the future Zioni, which holds the education portfolio, will come out with a comprehensive preschool program.

Before the municipal elections in October last year, each council member of the Haifa Haim faction detailed what he intended to do during the term. One of Lazimi's commitments was to engage in strengthening the early childhood sector in the city and for the local authority to take responsibility for the toddlers. Now Zimi along with Zionists are paying the bill.