Education
(a) (i) How many early childhood development (ECD) centres operated in the province during the 2025 academic year and (ii) how many of them were registered, (b)(i) how many ECD centres are currently operating in the province and (ii) how many of them are registered, (c)(i) how many registered ECD centres received funding from the Depart-ment during the 2025 academic year and (ii) what was the total cost of this funding, (d)(i) how many registered ECD centres have received funding from the Department during the current academic year to date and (ii) what is the total cost of this funding to date and (e) what support does his Department provide to assist ECD centres to (i) become registered and (ii) access departmental funding?
My department has informed me of the following:
(a) (i) 5 047
(ii) 1 647
(b) (i) As of 20 May 2026: 5 064
(ii) 1 647 (3 417 Early Childhood Development (ECD) sites in process)
(c) (i) 1 198 – January to March 2025
1 163 – April to December 2025
(ii) R491 986 608
(d) (i) 1 163 – January to May 2026
(ii) R175 128 880
(e) (i) The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) contracts Social Sector Organisations to support ECD centres through the registration
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process. It also holds district-based meetings on bronze and silver registration and, in collaboration with local government, convenes joint stakeholder meetings to support registration.
(ii) Monitoring and Evaluation officials conduct financial assessments of all eligible ECD centres. Centres assessed as suitable for funding are subsequently supported to comply with the prescribed funding requirements.
