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Is Your Crèche Registered? ECD Registration Checks Every Parent Should Do

Updated 2026-07-11

Registration is the single most useful proxy for whether a crèche or preschool meets basic health, safety and programme standards. Here's how the system works and what to check.

Who registers ECD programmes now?

Early childhood development oversight moved from the Department of Social Development (DSD) to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in April 2022. The DBE has been running the Bana Pele mass registration drive to bring thousands of unregistered programmes into the system, with a simplified 'bronze/silver/gold' style pathway so programmes can register and then improve.

What registration covers

A registered programme has been assessed against national norms and standards, which include:

  • Safe premises: fencing, safe cooking areas, emergency exits
  • Adequate indoor and outdoor space per child
  • Hygiene: toilets/potties appropriate to age, handwashing, safe food handling
  • A structured learning programme appropriate to the age group
  • Staff clearance against the National Child Protection Register and the National Register for Sex Offenders

What to ask the school

  1. "Is the programme registered with the DBE, and may I see the certificate?" A legitimate school will show you without hesitation. Conditional registration (in progress) is common and acceptable — outright refusal is not.
  2. "Have staff been vetted against the Child Protection Register and the National Register for Sex Offenders?" Both checks are required, not optional.
  3. "What are your emergency procedures?" There should be a real answer: assembly point, first-aid kit, a staff member with first-aid training.

Red flags

  • No registration and no interest in registering
  • Gates left open or no sign-in process for visitors
  • More children than the space can plausibly hold
  • Staff who can't tell you the daily programme
  • No parent contact policy — you should be welcome to drop in

Unregistered doesn't always mean unsafe — but verify harder

Many community programmes deliver loving, quality care while their registration is in process; the registration backlog is a known national issue. If a programme is unregistered, do more of your own diligence: visit repeatedly, talk to other parents, and check the basics above yourself.

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