The SA childcare association is today taking government to court over the re-opening on early childhood development centres and partial care facilities.

The association will join Solidarity that already had an application before the Pretoria High court as the friends of court.

On Monday the department of social development announced through their circular that early childhood development educators and staff members involved may return to work. However the department said no child may return to early childhood development (ECD) programme or partial care facility until such time that the minister has pronounced in government gazette the dates and conditions of re-opening.

Speaking on behalf of the association, Anton Van Der Merwe said they had been working very hard in the background to ensure that all ECDs throughout the country are given the opportunity to open on July 6 irrespective of their affiliations and associations.

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“We have decided that whilst Solidarity has an application before court rather than lodging our own application which may delay a decision to join them as an Amicus Curiae (friend of the court) in order to support the application and make sure that the application presented to the judge has more information and evidence that will allow him/her to make an informed decision,” Van der Merwe said.

Van der Merwe said while the Solidarity application talks to independent and private institutions theirs will represent all ECD’s struggles and their emotional plight. He said the association will be providing through their attorneys Van Wyk & Associates more information to the court so that the judge can make an informed decision around their sector.

“This includes affidavits from Professors at Universities and Paediatricians Psychologists in support of ECD’s returning to open their facilities on July 6. We also want to present to the court the impact that staying closed will have not only on our sector but on children as well. We believe the information we will provide to the court as friends of the court will allow the judge to get a better understanding of the ECD sector and make an informed decision that will impact positively on each and every one of within the ECD sector