Education Minister Louis Galea and Family and Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina yesterday signed an agreement about the opening and running of a childcare centre in Luqa. Work is also in hand for another two such centres, one in Paola, the other in Gharghur.

They are aimed to improve services which help in the upbringing and development of children.

Ms Cristina said the government was spending over e116,000 to complete the three centres according to its standards.

This was apart from the e300,000 voted for a scheme intended to help these centres improve their services.

The childcare sector is being helped by the government which exempts those centres from VAT fees if they are registered with the Department for Standards in Social Security. A Childcare Unit is also being set up to coordinate activities in the sector.

Dr Galea said the government was investing money so that together with parents, it would give the best possible start to all children in their development. Mothers were also joining the workforce and the government wanted to set their mind at rest that children at childcare centres would be looked after well.