Newsroom
A kindergarten in the Larnaca district continued accepting children even after its registration certificate had been withdrawn, Social Welfare Services have confirmed.
The facility has now been closed following serious complaints from parents and employees about conditions inside the premises and the treatment of children.
The allegations include claims that babies were left sitting in feeding chairs for hours and that there were incidents of suspected food poisoning. These claims have not yet been proven and remain subject to investigation.
But one fact already confirmed by the authorities is likely to alarm parents: the kindergarten carried on operating without valid registration.
The case also appears to expose a significant weakness in the law. Social Welfare Services could remove the facility from the official register and report the operator to the relevant authorities, but they reportedly lacked the power to immediately shut the premises themselves.
For parents, registration is more than paperwork hanging on a wall. It is supposed to show that a childcare facility has passed basic checks covering staffing, safety, hygiene and the wellbeing of children.
The idea that a nursery can lose that approval and still open its doors the following morning raises serious questions about how quickly the state can act when young children may be at risk.
Authorities must now establish how long the kindergarten continued operating after its registration was withdrawn, whether parents were informed and what previous inspections found. Investigators must also determine whether any children suffered documented harm.
The government should also clarify whether other childcare facilities in Cyprus have continued operating after losing their registration. Parents deserve to know that when the state withdraws a licence, it also has the power to make sure the doors actually close.
