Review of the preliminary findings of the study on the assessment of the supply and demand for childcare services in the Kingdom
02-28-2022
MASHREQ GENDER FACILITY (MGF) - women’s economic empowerment, an initiative of the World Bank Group, presented the preliminary findings of the study on the assessment of the supply and demand for childcare services and discussed the national priorities for supporting the care sector.
The study complements the efforts to implement the second phase of the national plan for women’s economic empowerment in Jordan (2019-2024), which is in line with the objectives and indicators of the Women’s Strategy in Jordan (2020-2025), in order to advance the agenda of the childcare sector in Jordan, in line with the National Human Resources Development Strategy (2018-2025).
The Ministry of Social Development, NCFA and JNCW signed an MoU during the session for the presentation of findings of the study on the assessment of the supply and demand for childcare services, where the national priorities for support of the care sector were discussed.
Ayman Mefleh, the Minister of Social Development, stressed the importance of the study and its findings, and the need to benefit from it in developing important and comprehensive policies to expand the childcare sector, which would be reflected in supporting the women’s economic empowerment policies.
Mohammad Zubi, the Assistant Secretary-General for Technical Affairs, explained that NCFA has been working on institutionalizing childhood issues since its establishment, and following up on the national strategy for early childhood development, stressing that NCFA seeks, according to the directives of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, to improve services provided to children, through the implementation of projects, initiatives, plans and strategies in cooperation with the National Team for Early Childhood Development, whose members represent various relevant authorities.
For her part, the Secretary-General for Women's Affairs, Dr. Salma Nims, said, "We must not forget the concept of early childhood care, which is a right of all families and children, not only for working families”.
It is noteworthy that the study assessed the supply aspect of childcare services in Jordan and the demand for these services by families and employers.
The study assessed the availability and characteristics of services, including accessibility and costs, and revealed families' expectations and willingness to pay, as well as employers' expectations and willingness to provide family-friendly policies including childcare services.
The study supports the Jordanian government's efforts to enhance women's access to economic opportunities, as the data to be presented is expected to benefit a wide range of stakeholders concerned with aspects of legislation, programs and incentives that support women's economic empowerment and early childhood development. (Petra)
