If employers develop crèche services at the company, the employment rate among women and men will increase. Such a service is needed primarily because the existing early education infrastructure in Moldova is under significant pressure, with an occupancy rate of over 100% in urban centers, such as Chisinau. The subject was discussed in a workshop centering on the organization of childcare services at the workplace, which was staged by the International Labor Organization (ILO), IPN reports.
Leonid Cerescu, chairman of the National Employers Confederation, said the employers warn that they meet with difficulties in identifying and hiring personnel. The women with children younger than three are a special category of inactive persons. As the preschool institutions do not accept children aged between two and three, this is an impediment for women to return to work. In such circumstances, the parents tend to stay longer on childcare leave, creating risks for the employers and diminishing their qualifications while being absent from work.
MP Marina Morozova said the opening of crèches at companies as an alternative service will increase the women’s and men’s participation in company activities. The employer can offer a space for looking after children aged between two and three. If the parents want to return to work but cannot place the child at a crèche in the locality, the employer can offer that child-friendly space with a hired educator.
Felicia Bechtoldt, secretary of state of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, said the Ministry approved an ambitious program to extend alternative childcare services. In 2021, 15% of the children younger than three attended early educational institutions. The goal is to double the figure until 2026. The existing early education infrastructure is under significant pressure, with an occupancy rate of over 100% in urban centers, such as Chisinau. There is a shortage of educators, primarily in rural areas. Next week, the Cabinet will consider a decision to help create such alternative services at companies. Among the benefits of creating such services at companies are the higher productivity, maintaining of talents, employees’ satisfaction from work and their loyalty.
Nelea Rusu, who manages the project to offer alternative care services for children aged between 0 and 3 at the ILO, said that this type of service is yet unknown to the private and public sectors in Moldova. International practice shows yet that these services work perfectly, are adjusted to the needs of companies and are beneficial to companies. This is a mechanism to stimulate mothers and fathers who are on childcare leave to return to work. This way the enterprises do not lose employees, in general, talents and valuable staff, in particular. A guidebook with the legal provisions in an accessible language needs to be designed. As part of the ILO project, companies will be chosen to pilot this service.
Some 53.6% of Moldova’s population, primarily the women, aged between 25 and 34, are inactive owing to domestic chores.
