Parents are urged to check the credibility of nurseries and daycare centres before enrolling their children, the director of social welfare services (SWS) said on Wednesday.

Maria Kiraji was speaking in the wake of the shuttering of a Larnaca nursery school following parent complaints and the lack of the necessary operation permits.

“The SWS received information regarding a parent’s complaint about an alleged child abuse report, after bruises were spotted on the child’s body. The parent was instructed to take the case to the police, which he did,” Kiraji told the Cyprus News Agency.

According to the SWS website, there currently exist 404 licensed nurseries, 99 approved home childminders and 128 child protection and employment centres.

Kiraji stated that examinations revealed that the nursery had been in operation without the necessary permits for several years and outside the knowledge of SWS.

The owners were later called to the premises to terminate the operation of the nursery, while this was reported to the police.

“We guided parents who were using the particular daycare centre to find approved nurseries to take their children,” she said.

The Cyprus Private Preschool Education Association (CPPEA) referred parents to the lists of schools and specialists approved by the SWS, with more than 500 approved centres.

The SWS said that the establishment and operation of private daycare centres and kindergartens is governed by a particularly strict and demanding legislative and regulatory framework, since they are checked by multiple state services.

Aspects which are regularly checked include indoor and outdoor spaces, earthquake safety, toys and furniture, the academic qualifications of the staff, the number of children attending the centre, the number of children per section, the sanitary conditions of the facilities and kitchen, risk assessments, health and safety preventive measures and sufficient staff first aid training.

If the parents come across any potentially abusive behaviour, they should immediately report it to the nursery’s management, and if satisfactory measures are not taken, a complaint should be filed with the SWS or the education ministry.

“It is the duty of all bodies to work together and operate professionally,” said the CPPEA.