Thousands of workers at industrial parks and exports processing zones in Can Tho City have expressed concerns after hearing that some children were mistreated at childcare centres, but no centres are officially set up for these facilities.

Workers at industrial parks in Can Tho City need of daycare 

The southern city of Can Tho has six industrial parks (IPs) and export processing zones (EPZs) with around 32,000 workers, however, these parks and zones do not have any pre-schools for the workers children.

Among around 32,000 people are working at these IPs and EPZs, 70% are female who are at the childbearing age.

One worker for a tra fish processing company said that she and her husband are from Ben Tre Province. They have been working there for two years and have just had a girl. Their grandparents are too old to take care of their child for them, so they have to take her to a nearby baby sitter. However, they do not feel secured about this.

Mrs.T and her husband from Hau Giang Province were in the same situation when they had to send their child to an unlicensed pre-school class. T said he had to go back to work six months after the birth, however, many public pre-schools only receive children aged from 18 months.

The recent incident in which a baby sitter in HCM City beat a child to death has raised more worry for workers in Can Tho City’s IPs and EPZs. Therefore, all of them expect there will be a pre-school at IPs and EPZs where they work to be built.

The owner of a hostel for workers in Tra Noc Ward, Can Tho City, said through mass media, she knows that the central districts of Can Tho City such as Ninh Kieu and Cai Rang allow to open massive pre-schools.  However, there is no pre-school at local IPs and EPZs.

Huynh Huu Thong, Chairman of Trade Union of Can Tho IPs and EPZs, said, “To date, the municipal People’s Committee has planned to build a pre-school for 200 children. After this work is completed, the committee will consider other pre-schools.”

Tra Noc Industrial Park 1 and 2 have more than 20,000 workers, and most of them have to take their children to babysitters.

He added that the Trade Union of Zone 4, Tra Noc Ward, will persuade some local potential companies to open some nursery classes for workers’ children.

Phạm Thi Dao, Headmaster of Yen Linh Private Pre-school in Zone 4, said that each year, after Tet Holiday, local private pre-schools face an overload, mostly for classes for children aged between 12 and 16 months. She predicted that this year the situation would be worse after scams related to unlicensed child care groups are dealt with.