By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, March 17 — Selangor is stepping up efforts to support its care economy by providing financial aid, promoting technology adoption, and enhancing workforce training, to improve service quality and ensure long-term sustainability in the sector.
Many care centre operators face major hurdles, including financial constraints, slow technology adoption, and difficulty in hiring and retaining skilled staff, which lead to sustainability challenges in the sector.
To address this, the Selangor government has introduced several initiatives to strengthen the care economy, said state executive councillor for women empowerment and welfare Anfaal Saari.
These include financial assistance through the Care Centre Grant, business support under the XCare Programme, and efforts to streamline registration processes.
“Additionally, workforce training programmes are being expanded to ensure better staff retention and improve overall service quality.
“Under the (Selangor Care Accelerator) XCare programme, one of the key care business niches the Selangor government aims to accelerate is technology and innovation.
“We are planning the Selangor International Care Summit in October 2025, which will showcase, among other things, care-related technologies,” she told Selangor Journal.
The Care Centre Grant offers up to RM5,000 per center, with a total allocation of RM400,000. It is designed to encourage and assist care centre operators in registering with the relevant technical authorities.
Meanwhile, the XCare programme provides training, mentorship, networking opportunities, and industry visits to help accelerate the growth of care businesses.
Anfaal said under Thrust 5 of Selangor's Care Economy Policy (DEPNS), priority is given to technology adoption in care centres to enhance innovation and data-driven improvements.
“This includes incentivising the use of technology in homes and care centres, improving access to these technologies, and establishing a Selangor Care Economy Innovation and Technology Sandbox to foster innovation, along with many other initiatives,” she said.
In a recent report, expert Prof Dr Rahimah Ibrahim emphasised the need for a structured care framework, financial incentives, and policy reforms to address these pressing issues.
According to Anfaal, a survey conducted in November 2024 found that early childhood care centre operators mainly needed financial aid for registration and staff training.
“As a result, we launched the Care Centre Grant to assist operators with registration costs.
“We are also planning to expand the Impak programme (Early Childhood Care and Education Caretaker), which currently provides training for at-home child caregivers, to include caregivers in care centres.
“These initiatives will benefit both operators and staff by reducing operational costs, thereby alleviating their financial burden,” she said.
Anfaal added that the registered centres with well-trained staff would ensure better quality care for recipients.
