Unlicensed nursery in basement closed in Marka

AMMAN — An unlicensed nursery located in the basement of a building has been closed permanently due to the dangers it causes to the children, Ministry of Social Development Spokesperson Fawaz Ratrout said on Monday.

The creche is located in Marka District in eastern Amman, he said, adding that the basement had sewage water leaks and endangered the children’s health.

He said that the act violates the Penal Code and that the people involved will face prosecution accordingly. 

Another incident was also recorded in Marka last week, in which a child was found injured in one of Marka’s nurseries, the spokesperson said.

“The problem is that the child’s mother is a teacher, who claims that there is no school-based nursery in the area, which is untrue,” he told The Jordan Times.

Ratrout said there are 83 licenced creches in Marka, which is the highest number of nurseries licenced in Jordan, 48 of which are creches inside of schools. 

“Why would parents choose the unlicensed nurseries when they have many options that are licensed and safer?” he added.

In Jordan, there are around 1,160 licensed creches, with around 53 per cent of them located in or near schools in order to provide for working parents, according to Ratrout. 

“Both the parents and the owners of unlicensed creches should be referred to prosecution and investigation as this is considered a violation of children’s rights,” he added.

Parents previously said the unlicensed nurseries do not usually “seem illegal” as they are located near houses in small communities, and provide services for cheaper prices. 

Ratrout called on parents and residents to inform the ministry of any unlicensed nurseries and to check the availability of the licence and certificate of the creche as well as the nursery’s trade name. 

The regulations for licensing creches were issued in 1972 but the laws are being constantly updated by specialised committees and involved authorities, he said, noting that the regulations have been renewed in 2005 and will also be modified this week.