guide to opening child care centre in malaysia

The Complete Guide To Opening A Child Care Centre (Taska) In Malaysia

Budget 2024’s Women Career Comeback Programme persuaded thousands of women to return to work but doesn’t address one of the main reasons they left in the first place: a lack of child care facilities.

a baby being spoonfed to show child care facilities in malaysia for working women
The CEOs of tomorrow still need their diapers changed today.

As mothers across the country reignite their careers, the demand for reputable and licensed child care centres is bound to increase.

news article showign lack o fchild care facilities in malaysia for women

This is our way of saying it’s a great time to open a child care centre in Malaysia.

If you prefer a direct source, here is JKM’s official guide to child care centre registration, but be warned it’s lengthy and only available in Bahasa Melayu.

For your convenience, our guide simplifies JKM’s document and links to relevant external sources.

Here’s how we’ll break it down:

  • types of child care centres
  • requirements to open a child care centre
  • licenses needed, and
  • a step-by-step guide to registration

Important note: This guide refers to child care centres as defined by the Child Care Centre Act 1984 for children aged four years and below, known as a ‘taska’. It does NOT apply to centres for children aged above four years, known as a ‘pusat jagaan kanak-kanak’ and governed by the Care Centres Act 1993.

If that sounds good, then let’s begin!

Categories of child care centres in Malaysia

The Child Care Centre Act 1984 defines a child care centre as ‘a premise where four or more children under four years old and from more than one household are received to be looked after for reward’.

JKM further recognises four child care centre categories as described in the table below.

Type of Child Care CentreNumber of ChildrenRun by
Institution-basedMore than tenPrivate body or NGO
Workplace-basedMore than tenEmployer for employee welfare
Community-basedMore than tenCommunity
Home-basedFour to nineRegistered person under Section 7

Most readers will be choosing between institution and home-based centres and the best choice depends on how many children you believe you can manage.

Requirements to open a child care centre

In addition to the usual cleanliness and food hygiene requirements, JKM has a list of specific requirements for child care centres.

Owner / director / partner

If you will be operating a child care centre as a sole proprietorship, you must:

If you will be operating as a partnership or Sdn Bhd, then one of the partners or directors must meet the above requirements.

Caregiver

All caregivers must be Malaysian citizens at least 18 years of age and pass the KAAK / KAP courses within 12 months of starting work.

There is also a minimum ratio of caregivers to children, which differs by age and applies equally to all child care centres.

AgeAble-bodied ChildrenChildren with Disabilities (OKU)
Newborn – 1 year old1:32:3
1 – 3 years old1:52:5
3 – 4 years old1:103:10

Child-to-floor space ratio

Home-based child care centres must have a child-to-floor space ratio of 2.5 square meters per child while institution-based child care centres must have a ratio of 3:5 square meters per child. 

Technical agency support

All child care centres must receive written approval from its respective:

  • Local Authorities (PBT)
  • Fire and Rescue Department, and
  • Department of Health

CCTV installation

With the exception of home-based child-care centres, all child care centres in Malaysia must install CCTV on their premises.

Required licenses

General licenses

These are licenses needed to run a business on a physical premise and are issued by your Local Authority (also known as Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan).

  • Premise license
  • Signboard license

Industry-specific licenses

These are specific licenses for child care centres issued by a federal or state government agency. 

Child care centre registration with JKM

Child care centres must register with The Malaysian Department of Social Welfare (JKM), which maintains a database of all child care centres in Malaysia.

jkm child care centre database
Incidentally, a great way to find a location with less competition.

The registration fee is:

  • RM50 for a home-based centre 
  • RM250 for an institution-based centre

Once issued, the registration is valid for five years.

Before registering, you must meet the minimum requirements which includes passing a Permata KAP course delivered by JKM or an approved third party.

Pass Permata KAP course

A Permata Early Childhood Care and Education Course equips you with skills to handle young children. 

toilet bowl to show contents of permata KAP course for child care centre operators
Half of it is about helping kids use the toilet.

Here are key details:

  • It consists of 144 hours of theory and 40 hours of practical training
  • the full time course lasts 29 days and a weekend course lasts four months
  • It has a government-set cost of RM800 per person (excluding third-party tutor charges).

JKM’s ezi2care portal has a list of course dates so you can easily find one that fits your schedule.

Pass food handler training course

The Food Hygiene Regulations 2009 by the Ministry of Health requires child care centre operators and staff members who handle food and drinks to receive food handler training.

Here are some key details about the course:

  • it lasts a minimum of three hours (but can take longer)
  • it costs RM50 per person
  • it can be both online and in person
  • as of August 2024, the certification is valid for life

MISHU’s own trainer Mr Azlan Saw conducts a weekly session every Friday from 9am – 12pm. Since this training is compulsory, might as well get a good-looking instructor!

Step-by-step guide to opening a child care centre

There may be slight differences based on state requirements so treat the following steps, timelines, and documents / fees as a general guideline. 

StepTime TakenNecessary Documents / Fees
0. Attend food handler training3 hoursUpon completion, it typically takes seven working days to receive your certificate.

Fee: RM50 per person
0. Enroll in PERMATA course1 – 4 monthsCheck JKM’s portal for best course date, make payment, and get your KAP certification.

Fee: RM800 per person
1. Company incorporation3 – 5 working daysRegister for an account on MyCoID and carry out name reservation + incorporation.

Fee: RM1,010
2. Register as child care centre with JKM (sample form only)2 – 4 weeksVisit district JKM office and obtain registration documents from officer in charge of child care centres.

Request and obtain approval letters from technical agencies mentioned previously.

Return to JKM district office to submit application with approval letters.

Undergo premise inspection by JKM officer. If all goes well, your centre will be registered and you can begin operating.

Registration is valid for five (5) years to be renewed three (3) months before expiry date.

Fee: RM50 for home-based centres and RM250 for institution-based centres.
3. Apply for composite license (premise + signboard)15 – 30 working daysObtain from Local Authority where premise is located.

Undergo premise inspection by Local Authority officers.

Fee: Differs between municipalities

In total, be prepared to spend six to seven months and several thousand Ringgit to set up a fully licensed child care centre.

We believe a home-based child care centre can be started with RM10,000, making it viable for first-time entrepreneurs willing to put up with noise pollution! 

crying child
Imagine ten of them going off at once.

We wish you all the best with your child care centre registration, and if you ever need help, we’ll be right here 🙂

Let MISHU help set up your child care centre

Our experienced Company Secretaries and business license consultants are here to help you navigate statutory and permit requirements to set up your child care centre as soon as possible. Speak to us today!

2 thoughts on “The Complete Guide To Opening A Child Care Centre (Taska) In Malaysia

    1. Hi Kokhila,

      Thanks for messaging us – our team will be getting in touch as soon as possible.

      All the best with your daycare setup!

      Sincerely,
      The MISHU Editorial Team

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