Tema, Aug. 20, GNA - A total of 53 uncertified Day Care Centres have been found to be operating in the Tema Metropolis.

Mr George De-Graft Assan, Tema Metropolitan Social Welfare Officer, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Tema, said the centres had enrolled 2,417 children, made up of 1,205 boys and 1,212 girls.

Mr Assan said this was detected when officials of the Tema Metropolitan Office of the Social Welfare Department conducted their usual checks on the centres during the first half of this year.

He cautioned operators of the centres to regularize their operations.

Mr Assan stated that in the first half of the year, his outfit documented a total of 182 certified Day Care Centres operating in the Metropolis, adding that a total of 11,617 children, comprising 9,917 males and 1,700 females, were enrolled at those Centres.

He said the Department received 33 welfare cases between January and June this year, adding that the 33 consisted of six child custody cases, two paternity and 25 general advice cases.

Mr Assan explained that the general advices covered welfare of children and spouses, child protection and HIV/AIDS, among other social welfare issues.

He said his outfit also handled 40 family reconciliation cases and 55 maintenance of children issue during the same period.

He added that the staff of the department also supervised eight children released on probation by the juvenile courts during the period.

Nine other children, comprising two girls and seven boys, who have been committed to correctional centres in the first half of the year, were also handled by the Department, Mr Assan added.