Day Care Centres
WIZO opened its first Day Care Centre in 1926 with the aim of supporting working mothers. Today, an acknowledged leader in the field of Early Age Education, WIZO operates over 180 Day Care Centres for almost 15,000 children from the ages of 3 months up to 4 years. WIZO’s trained and experienced caregivers engage children in early childhood development programmes aimed at developing cognitive and physical aptitude from infancy.
These vital programmes encourage curiosity, experimental learning and self-expression, whilst increasing communication, speech and reading abilities. Educational games, music activities, movement, art and story time are geared to enhance muscle tone, coordination and increase children’s attention spans. At WIZO’s Rebecca Sieff Day Care Centre, this includes a sensory motor centre, a sound listening centre and a Lego room.
Multi-Purpose Day Care Centres, which are mainly located in very low socio-economic areas, cater for children referred by social services from 7am to 7pm, six days a week. These children come from poor or underprivileged backgrounds where many experience neglect or violence at home. The Centres provide additional services such as social workers, psychologists and therapists, as well as parenting programmes to encourage positive family bonding. All children receive three freshly prepared healthy and nutritious meals each day.
The Barzilai Day Care Centre attached to Barzilai hospital offers extended hours in times of high-security situations due to its geographical location. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre was also able to offer day care to the children of medical personnel to ensure they could look after their patients whilst knowing their children were well cared for.
WIZO caring for 15,000 babies and toddlers