Where Do Rich Countries Stand on Childcare?
Even before COVID-19, some of the world’s richest countries were failing to offer comprehensive childcare solutions to all families. In some instances, this reflected their policy priorities rather than available resources. The COVID-19 pandemic also challenged children’s education, care and well-being as parents struggled to balance their…, Luxemburg, Iceland, and Sweden offer the best childcare policies. However, no country is a leader on all four fronts, suggesting there is room for improvement, even among the more family-friendly countries. Slovakia, the United States, and Cyprus occupy the bottom places of the League Table. Weak investments in leave and childcare suggest that…, Leave policies, Most young children are cared for by their parents, whether leave policies and care options are available or not. Well-designed maternity, paternity, and parental leave can help parents bond with their babies, supports healthy child development, lowers maternal depression, and increases gender equality. Maternity leave Maternity leave helps…, Formal childcare, High quality childcare benefits children in multiple ways. Interactions with other children foster cognitive and social-emotional skills. Access to early caring and educational experiences outside the home can have an equalizing effect on children’s development and life chances, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Good childcare…, Impact of COVID-19, The COVID-19 pandemic challenged children’s education, care, and well-being as parents struggled to balance their responsibilities for childcare and employment. Lockdowns closed childcare centres and made informal providers unavailable, such as grandparents. Much of the childcare burden was placed on women. In the US, women’s labour participation…, Recommendations, Provide a suitable mix of paid maternity, paternity, and parental leave for mothers and fathers. Leave should be both gender-sensitive and gender-equitable to ensure neither parent is overburdened with home care. Leave should be inclusive and granted to those in non-standard forms of employment or training. Align the end of leave with availability…, 1 Where do rich countries stand on childcare? Where do rich countries stand on childcare? Anna Gromada and Dominic Richardson June 2021 UNICEF OFFICE OF RESEARCH INNOCENTIThe UNICEF Office of Research Innocenti is UNICEFs dedicated research centre. It undertakes research on emerging or current issues in order to inform the strategic direction,…
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