BEWARE: Panama  is awash with illegal private child and family counselling centers, which offer daycare to children under five, says the Ministry of Social Development.

 A total of 264 centers either lack the necessary permits or do not meet ministry requirements for their operation.
Ministry official Ana Cristina Terrientes said that in addition to the 104 centers operated by the agency, there are 500 private centers. Of these, only 236 were found to be in compliance reports La Prensa.
"We have carried out inspections and we found that, during the last administration, centers were not legalized," she said.
Terrientes added that 20 sites have been closed with the assistance of police and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Irregularities discovered in the inspections include centers operating in unsuitable locations, such as houses, undocumented or untrained staff, overcrowding, poor nutrition and inadequate security.
César Pérez, a member of the children's organization Pro Life Foundation, said the process of evaluating these centers is a shared responsibility and that inspections must be thorough to protect the welfare of the children