Still much to be done in local childcare

The National Council of Women is proposing extra-curricular activities as a solution to the shortage of childcare services.

According to the council, there is still much to be done to improve the level of childcare services available.

The statement follows news from Brussels that Malta is one of the worst performers in the EU when it comes to childcare facilities for pre-school aged children.

Malta ranked 25 out of the 27 EU member states in a report that measures the progress made by member states to provide childcare facilities to pre-school children.

The statistics were contradicted by the Prime Minister who pointed out that Malta suffers in this comparison because here kindergartens cater for the children who abroad are taken care of at childcare centres. If Malta decided to call its kindergartens childcare centres, he argued, the statistics would instantly shoot up.

But the council insisted that the situation needs to be improved. The council said it strongly feels that there is much left to be done at a local level, recommending the use of schools themselves after normal school hours. The council said extra-curricular activities for school-aged children are a possible solution for affordable childcare after school hours.

The council also spoke about a package presented by the European Commission earlier this month aimed at assisting women in reconciling their professional and private lives. As part of the package, it was proposed to extend maternity leave by four more weeks, bringing the total up to 18 weeks.

The council welcomed the package, saying it believes that it will facilitate the re-integration of women into the workforce.