The launch of the "Safe Child World - Creative Future Generation" initiative, implemented under the Clean Sri Lanka - STEP UP Early Childhood Development National Program to ensure children's safety while realizing the government's "A Thriving Nation - A Beautiful Life" vision, took place 10th January morning at the Temple Trees under the patronage of Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
This national program is being implemented jointly by the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, along with several other institutions including the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government. The program's objectives include introducing standards in the future to formally standardize early childhood development centers and organizing national level training programs to enhance the professional skills of early childhood development teachers. In addition to that learning kits and specialized resource kits prepared to develop ten identified core values of children were distributed to 900 early childhood development centers with the support of the Health Promotion Bureau and UNICEF.
The event was attended by Health and Mass Media Minister Hon. Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Women and Child Affairs Minister Hon. Mrs. Saroja Polraj, including several other ministers, Colombo District Parliamentarian MP Dr. Najith Indika, Provincial Governors, as well as President's Secretary Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake. Senior Additional Secretary to the President (Finance and Economic Affairs) Mr. G.M.R.D. Aponsu and Additional Secretary to the President Eng. S.P.C. Sugeeshwara were also present for the occasion.
The ceremony was colorful with several segments featuring presentations by preschool children and teachers, and a large gathering including preschool teachers from early childhood development centers from various parts of the island joined the event.