ILO Moldova and ILO Ukraine explore the best European practices in childcare services

The activity was organized by the Country Office of the International Labour Organization in Budapest (DWT/CO-Budapest) for both ILO Moldova and ILO Ukraine, as both countries are implementing projects to expand childcare services to encourage women's return to the labor market after childcare leave. Over the course of the two-day study, participants from Moldova, Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia, and the Czech Republic exchanged experiences and learned about the best European practices regarding alternative childcare services.

"In 2021, in Moldova, one in five women (22%) was economically inactive due to childcare responsibilities or other household chores, compared to 1.2% for men. As a result, authorities launched the National Program for alternative childcare services for children up to 3 years old. As part of the global partnership between ILO and SIDA, ILO is one of the partner organizations helping the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to implement this program by piloting three alternative childcare services," stated Nelea Rusu, the Project Coordinator of ILO Moldova.

In Moldova, the responsibility for implementing the Law on alternative childcare services and the National Program for expanding childcare services lies with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. There are three types of alternative childcare services in Moldova: qualified caregivers (nannies) at the child's home, family-type nurseries at caregivers' homes, and nurseries at the workplace. ILO Moldova, with the support of its partners, helps the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to implement and promote these types of services. "

Both in Lithuania and Estonia, childcare services for children up to the age of three have undergone reforms in recent years, aiming to integrate them with educational services. I believe this experience is useful for anticipating this transition by ensuring institutional coordination," mentioned Aliona Crețu, Head of the Demographic Policy Service at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

In Lithuania, modular nurseries represent a popular trend. These are attached to existing kindergarten buildings, have high energy efficiency, construction and maintenance costs 40-50% lower than traditional ones, and their construction takes half the time. Through this innovative method, the municipality of Vilnius has managed to expand spaces where alternative childcare services are provided for preschool-aged children.

In the Czech Republic, employer-based childcare services are well developed. The Czech company Firemni Skolky has been helping companies set up and manage nurseries and kindergartens at the workplace for over 15 years. Thus, parents have the opportunity to return to work sooner after childcare leave. In Moldova, the process of setting up nurseries at the workplace has also started, with the support of the National Confederation of Employers (CNPM).

In Ukraine, drawing on international experience and in collaboration with local actors, ILO Ukraine pilots innovative and financially accessible approaches to create childcare services at the workplace with the support of employers, public-private partnerships, cooperatives, etc. "Such solutions will help overcome challenges related to territorial and financial accessibility and will ensure the sustainability of preschool education institutions," informed Iryna Vintoniuk, the Project Coordinator of ILO Ukraine.

The delegation of the Republic of Moldova included the International Labour Organization, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, as well as social partners - the National Confederation of Trade Unions (CNSM) and the National Confederation of Employers (CNPM).