The Eastern Regional Multi-Sectoral Committee on the Protection of Children, has raised concerns about the poor conditions at private Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) in the Region.
The committee said that some of the facilities at the Centres posed health hazard to inmates.
Mr Samuel Dontoh, the Regional Director of the Department of Children, who made the observations, called on the Department of Social Welfare to intensify the monitoring of the Centres.
He was speaking at the committee�s quarterly meeting at Koforidua on Wednesday, during which members of the group raised concerns about the way inmates of the Centres were being cared for.
Mr. Dontoh cited the use of rickety vehicles in conveying children to and from the Centres and appealed to the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit to ensure that drivers of school buses complied with traffic regulations to protect children.
He said that a survey conducted by the Department indicated that some of the Centres were death traps and situated in unsuitable areas.
Mrs Sarah Kwao, a representative of the Social Welfare Department on the committee, said that the Department had closed down poor ECDC in the Region.
Mrs Vida Ntow of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Co-ordinator of the Centres in the Region, said the GES had no supervisory role over the private ECDC except the public kindergarten, which had become part of the public educational policy.
She said that the GES investigated reports on ECDC and made recommendation for the closure of the non-performing ones.