Law strengthening early childhood care signed

President Marcos has signed Republic Act 12199, or the Early Childhood Care and Development System Act, which aims to enhance the quality and accessibility of early childhood education and care in the country.

- By HELEN FLORES

Signed on May 8 and made public yesterday, RA 12199 recognizes early childhood, ages zero to eight, as a critical stage of educational development and seeks to create nurturing environments for children during this period.

A key feature of the law is the professionalization of child development teachers (CDTs) and child development workers (CDWs). It sets minimum qualifications and requires training, assessment and certification.

To address job insecurity and low wages, the law raises their salary grades and mandates the institutionalization of plantilla positions.

According to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), 89 percent of CDTs and CDWs nationwide hold non-permanent positions and earn an average of only P5,000 monthly.

To build capacity, the ECCD Council—now attached to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)—is tasked with working with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to roll out training and scholarship programs.

Funding for ECCD programs will be sourced from both public and private sectors, with priority given to children under five years from the most disadvantaged families.

Local government units (LGUs) will receive allocations from the Local Government Support Fund, including funding for Child Development Centers (CDCs) and the hiring of CDTs and CDWs.