Certification process of babysitters might launch in Georgia
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, May 15
A bill on the Code of Children’s Right, the hearing of which has already taken place at the parliament of Georgia, reads that the certification process of babysitters might begin.
“The government will establish and implement the professional development standards of the people employed in the childcare and child protection field, including the caregivers (babysitters) whose certification process will be voluntary,” the bill reads.
The draft also says that the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport will head the certification process of child caregivers.
The document defines that after the certification process, nannies will be able to take care of one or more children (not more than 5) in or outside the home of children’s legal representatives.
Also, a certified caregiver is entitled to receive appropriate support from the social worker regarding the issues connected to the care of children.
Sophio Kiladze, Chair of Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee of the parliament, is the initiator of the amendments.
Kiladze made comments on the initiated draft. According to her, it is important that the process of certification of babysitters will not be mandatory.
She explained that the only goal of the changes is that the state supports the parents who want to protect their children.
“The existing draft according to which the nurses are entrusted with the voluntary certification aims at promoting the rights of children and helping the babysitters on the state level,” she noted.
Kiladze said the certification process will not have any negative impact on the salaries of jobs of the caregivers.
“The draft also envisaged mandatory certification process of the babysitters, but the parliament did not support this. We want this process to be voluntary,” she stressed, adding the social workers will also be involved in the process.
At present, no legislation regulates caregivers' working activities in the country.
This is not the first attempt to regulate children’s caregiving field at the legislative level; before that, a bill that considered the creation of a nursery registry was rejected by the Parliamentary Committee for Health Protection.
