Partnerships for Care: Policies, Services and Support for Parents

Paid and unpaid care work is fundamental to the functioning of society and to ensuring that women can participate fully in the labour market. At the same time, demographic trends and evolving family structures show the need for stronger public policies in this area. The ILO Resolution on Decent Work and the Care Economy (2024) proposes an integrated framework for action, known as the “5R Framework”: Recognize, Reduce and Redistribute care responsibilities, and Reward and Represent care workers.

These policies must be grounded in international labour standards and built through social dialogue.

Investing in transformative care policies could increase the employment rate of women from an average of 43.9% in 2019 to 52.9% by 2030, while reducing the gender wage gap from 14.1% in 2019 to 10.4% in 2030. It is estimated that every dollar invested in addressing the care policy gap for early childhood services could generate an average GDP return of USD 2.20 by 2030, as mothers resume employment and earnings throughout their working lives. Beyond economic gains, such investments support gender equality and social cohesion.

UN Resident Coordinator in Moldova, Yesim Oruc, emphasized the importance of collaboration in expanding care services: “Access to safe and well-organized care services benefits children by offering an enabling environment, while also allowing parents—especially mothers—to return to the labour market. This is only possible through partnership between communities, local authorities and national institutions. In Ungheni, we are already seeing concrete results of this joint effort.”

Ungheni is among the first municipalities where the ILO conducted a needs assessment for childcare services for children under three and supported the development of a roadmap for expanding these services. As a result, ten family-based childcare centres are planned to open by February 2026. To support this process, 30 women from Ungheni received training this year in management, communication and entrepreneurship, and 15 participants have begun professional qualification programs in the care sector.

Mayor of Ungheni, Vitalie Vrabie, noted that care has become a local development priority: “Here in Ungheni, we understand that care is not only a social responsibility, but an investment in our children and in the future of the community. Expanding childcare services allows mothers to return to work and enables children to enter the educational system from an early age.”

Carolina Bugaian, President of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Moldova, highlighted the link between care and women’s economic inclusion: “Our mission is to ensure that every woman can pursue her aspirations and contribute to society. Care services must be recognized and remunerated—because they unlock the potential of women to remain active in the workforce.”

From the perspective of national authorities, Aliona Crețu emphasized ongoing measures: “Demographic sustainability is not possible without early childhood services for children aged 0–3 and without policies that help balance work and family life. Alternative services have been established and places in public nurseries expanded in recent years, but long-term investment and planning are still needed.”

Development partners reiterated the economic benefits of investing in care. Guido Beltrani, Head of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova, stated: “Without care services, it is difficult for mothers to return to work. Investments in care create local jobs and are essential for gender equality.”

At the same time, Vladislav Caminschi, Executive Director of the National Confederation of Employers of Moldova, underlined the role of the private sector: “Companies can contribute through workplace initiatives. For example, programs such as Orange Kids have provided thousands of hours of childcare support and demonstrated a direct impact on employees’ well-being and productivity.”

Representatives of civil society and trade unions emphasized the need for local-level implementation. Lilia Franț, Vice-President of the National Confederation of Trade Unions, noted: “Legislation alone is not enough. We need local engagement, workplace policies that support work–family reconciliation, and shared responsibility for care between women and men.”

Complementing this perspective, Nelea Rusu pointed to progress in Ungheni: “We began by learning from international examples, and now we can showcase local models that respond to community needs. Mapping services in Ungheni was an essential planning step.”

ILO National Coordinator in Moldova, Ala Lipciu, stressed that developing the care economy requires coordinated action: “We are all part of the care ecosystem, whether we give or receive care. Building an effective care system requires coherent public policies, local engagement and social dialogue. By working in partnership and applying the ILO’s decent work framework to the care sector, we can transform care into a recognized, regulated and sustainable field.”

The event was organized in partnership with the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Moldova (AFAM), as part of the ILO project “Strengthening Peace and Prosperity through Women’s Leadership and Inclusion (Women for Peace and Prosperity)”, supported by the Government of Switzerland.