{"id":30536,"date":"2025-05-20T18:58:20","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T16:58:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/?p=30536"},"modified":"2025-05-20T21:13:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T19:13:18","slug":"cost-of-living-pushes-struggling-parents-to-resort-to-illegal-ecds-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/2025\/05\/20\/cost-of-living-pushes-struggling-parents-to-resort-to-illegal-ecds-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"Cost of living pushes struggling parents to resort to illegal ECDs: Expert"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_30550\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30550\" style=\"width: 770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-30550\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435-770x481.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"770\" height=\"481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435-770x481.webp 770w, https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435-768x480.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435.webp 1050w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30550\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: AFP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Teddy Bear Foundation clinical director Shaheda Omar says the economic climate in the country leaves some parents without many options when it comes to enrolling their children in daycare centres\/schools.<\/p>\n<p>Omar was reacting to the news that the four children who died in Mayfair, Johannesburg, were left unattended at an unregistered daycare centre.<\/p>\n<p>The children below the age of 2 lost their lives due to smoke inhalation when the house they were in went up in flames.<\/p>\n<p>The centre reportedly housed around ten children at the time of the blaze, while there are allegations that there are over 70 people living on the property.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Ynews, Omar says this could have been avoided had proper processes been followed.<\/p>\n\t<div class=\"qtmplayer-playlist-large\">\n\t\t<ul class=\"qtmplayer-playlist\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"qtmplayer-trackitem qtmplayer-track-inpage\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435-100x100.webp\" alt=\"cover\">\t\t<span \t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-cover=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435-370x370.webp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-file=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Ptt-2025-05-20-at-14.58.17.ogg\n154615\naudio\/ogg\n\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-title=\"Cost of living pushes struggling parents to resort to illegal ECDs: Expert\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-artist=\"Nonhlanhla Harris\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-link=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/2025\/05\/20\/cost-of-living-pushes-struggling-parents-to-resort-to-illegal-ecds-expert\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-icon=\"file_download\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-type=\"track\"\n\t\t\t class=\"qtmplayer-play qtmplayer-link-sec qtmplayer-play-btn\"><i class='material-icons' aria-label=\"Play\">play_arrow<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"qtmplayer-tit\">Cost of living pushes struggling parents to resort to illegal ECDs: Expert<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"qtmplayer-art\">Nonhlanhla Harris<\/span>\n\t\t<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/div>\t\t\t\n\t\n<p>Omar called on parents to also ensure that they do adequate research on the centres they place their children and to check if they are registered with the Education Department.<\/p>\n<p>She says government needs to prioritise children\u2019s safety and do more to ensure that people who run ECDs register their businesses.<\/p>\n\t<div class=\"qtmplayer-playlist-large\">\n\t\t<ul class=\"qtmplayer-playlist\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"qtmplayer-trackitem qtmplayer-track-inpage\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435-100x100.webp\" alt=\"cover\">\t\t<span \t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-cover=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435-370x370.webp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-file=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Ptt-2025-05-20-at-14.58.17.ogg\n154615\naudio\/ogg\n\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-title=\"Cost of living pushes struggling parents to resort to illegal ECDs: Expert\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-artist=\"Nonhlanhla Harris\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-link=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/2025\/05\/20\/cost-of-living-pushes-struggling-parents-to-resort-to-illegal-ecds-expert\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-icon=\"file_download\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-type=\"track\"\n\t\t\t class=\"qtmplayer-play qtmplayer-link-sec qtmplayer-play-btn\"><i class='material-icons' aria-label=\"Play\">play_arrow<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"qtmplayer-tit\">Cost of living pushes struggling parents to resort to illegal ECDs: Expert<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"qtmplayer-art\">Nonhlanhla Harris<\/span>\n\t\t<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/div>\t\t\t\n\t\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-30551 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/a0efd958-ee06-4301-b3bc-8e904fd2ba1b-770x433.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"770\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/a0efd958-ee06-4301-b3bc-8e904fd2ba1b-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/a0efd958-ee06-4301-b3bc-8e904fd2ba1b-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/a0efd958-ee06-4301-b3bc-8e904fd2ba1b.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile the mother of one of the children, says she doesn&#8217;t know how she will recover from this tragedy.<\/p>\n<p>She says her child has been in the daycare since they were 3 months and never imagined an incident like this would happen.<\/p>\n\t<div class=\"qtmplayer-playlist-large\">\n\t\t<ul class=\"qtmplayer-playlist\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"qtmplayer-trackitem qtmplayer-track-inpage\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435-100x100.webp\" alt=\"cover\">\t\t<span \t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-cover=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435-370x370.webp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-file=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Ptt-2025-05-20-at-14.58.17.ogg\n154615\naudio\/ogg\n\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-title=\"Cost of living pushes struggling parents to resort to illegal ECDs: Expert\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-artist=\"Nonhlanhla Harris\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-link=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/2025\/05\/20\/cost-of-living-pushes-struggling-parents-to-resort-to-illegal-ecds-expert\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-icon=\"file_download\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-type=\"track\"\n\t\t\t class=\"qtmplayer-play qtmplayer-link-sec qtmplayer-play-btn\"><i class='material-icons' aria-label=\"Play\">play_arrow<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"qtmplayer-tit\">Cost of living pushes struggling parents to resort to illegal ECDs: Expert<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"qtmplayer-art\">Nonhlanhla Harris<\/span>\n\t\t<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/div>\t\t\t\n\t\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku says those responsible must face the full might of the law.<\/p>\n\t<div class=\"qtmplayer-playlist-large\">\n\t\t<ul class=\"qtmplayer-playlist\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"qtmplayer-trackitem qtmplayer-track-inpage\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435-100x100.webp\" alt=\"cover\">\t\t<span \t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-cover=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435-370x370.webp\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-file=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Ptt-2025-05-20-at-14.58.17.ogg\n154615\naudio\/ogg\n\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-title=\"Cost of living pushes struggling parents to resort to illegal ECDs: Expert\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-artist=\"Nonhlanhla Harris\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-link=\"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/2025\/05\/20\/cost-of-living-pushes-struggling-parents-to-resort-to-illegal-ecds-expert\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-icon=\"file_download\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-qtmplayer-type=\"track\"\n\t\t\t class=\"qtmplayer-play qtmplayer-link-sec qtmplayer-play-btn\"><i class='material-icons' aria-label=\"Play\">play_arrow<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"qtmplayer-tit\">Cost of living pushes struggling parents to resort to illegal ECDs: Expert<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"qtmplayer-art\">Nonhlanhla Harris<\/span>\n\t\t<\/p>\n\t<\/li>\n\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/div>\t\t\t\n\t\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">4 children lost their lives to a fire at an illegal cr\u00e8che in Mayfair. my heart is heavy. I\u2019ll be following that story closely<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 the Gonzolist (@YoTay_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/YoTay_\/status\/1924537369140646055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 19, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Really heartbreaking, 4 toddlers lost their lives in a fire in Mayfair. Another unsafe building with no city approval. There are hundreds more like this in Ward 58, and disasters are waiting to happen. Some houses hold over 400 people. When will the city take this seriously.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Aziz (@AzizAlly16) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AzizAlly16\/status\/1924455424159347166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 19, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">People have been complaining to the City of Joburg for years about bylaw enforcement; rules and regulations, overcrowding, etc. in those areas for decades. Nothing.<br \/>\nThe COJ has ignored bylaw enforcement for decades.<br \/>\nThis is the normal ANC approach.<br \/>\nIgnore issues and hopefully the\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 JN (@UnityInSA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UnityInSA\/status\/1924723368353222921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">They should investigate why rooms are being let out to a whole family living in one room and then overloading the grid with stoves and heaters in those rooms. Not to talk about the flats coming up, overloading the grid even more!<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Yumna (@Yumna564905) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Yumna564905\/status\/1924713295790969316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Innocent children lost their lives due to a pathetic government and municipality<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dirk (@hikerdb) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hikerdb\/status\/1924711653427306978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 20, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Teddy Bear Foundation clinical director Shaheda Omar says the economic climate in the country leaves some parents without many options when it comes to enrolling their children in daycare centres\/schools. Omar was reacting to the news that the four children who died in Mayfair, Johannesburg, were left unattended at an ...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":30550,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4OTV582_copyright_image_73435.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30536"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30536\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30555,"href":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30536\/revisions\/30555"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yfm.co.za\/devworld\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}