In a bid to strengthen Early Childhood Development (ECD) across Region G, the Sisonke Forum has been working closely with social workers, NGOs, and other government departments to support centres and ensure compliance with Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) regulations.
Connie Mkhabela, Sisonke Forum chairperson, explained the forum’s approach: “We have social workers we are working closely with to share our challenges. We also conduct meetings and site visits to identify needs and provide individual support. Additionally, we have a mass registration system so that the Department can accurately identify where every ECD centre is located. We also work through meetings and outreach programs with other departments.”
The initiative has already shown results. “We have newly registered centres that qualified for the 2025/26 subsidy,” Mkhabela said.
“While I don’t have an exact number, there are more than 500 centres in our region, although very few are registered. We have success stories from some centres that became compliant with the GDE and will be receiving funding next year, which will bring a positive impact on the ECD community,” she shared.
Collaboration with NGOs has been essential to the mass registration process.
Mkhabela said: “We have social workers working very closely with us to ensure compliance, and we conduct regular site visits and monitoring. I think this approach can be adapted to other parts of the city.”
Despite these successes, challenges remain. Land use, title deeds, and compliance requirements continue to be obstacles. “Some of the red tape relating to compliance is very expensive for ECD centres to afford,” Mkhabela added.
Founded in 2016 by ECD principals in Region G, the Sisonke Forum was created to address difficulties in registering ECD centres. The forum initially held meetings and even organized a sit-in with then-Mayor Herman Mashaba to negotiate compliance bylaws and regulations. Today, the forum has 231 registered members, although many more centres exist that are not affiliated, making it difficult to track the total number of ECD centres in the region.
Through continued advocacy, support and registration efforts, the Sisonke Forum is helping to ensure that ECD centres in Region G can thrive, access funding, and provide quality early learning opportunities for children.
Image: Connie Mkhabela
