11/10/2007
Child care helps regions deliver growth and jobs
‘Promoting Investments in Universal high quality child care in Europe’ was the title of a well-attended seminar hosted by the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions.
The Group organized the seminar during the European Week of Regions and Cities whose theme this year is ‘Regions deliver growth and jobs’ – and that was the message of the seminar: that child care helps regions deliver growth and jobs.
“Investing in child care services supports economic growth” said Mercedes Bresso, President of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions and President of the Italian Region of Piedmont.
Zita Gurmai, President of PES Women, said that both the public and private sector had a role to play in providing child care, and that more types of Government assistance might be available if child care featured properly in local and regional employment plans.
It is clear that in some countries child care cannot only be provided by the public sector. In Germany, many employers provide child care support for their employees. Lydia Zimmerman of German software services company DATEV EG pays for some 50 places in local kindergartens in Nuremberg where the company has its headquarters. A family helpdesk in the company helps employees find child care places for children aged under three. The benefits for the company include an earlier return of employees from parental leave, a reduction in absenteeism (caused by child care difficulties), a more positive attitude towards the employer resulting in a more motivated workforce, and an improved public image.
“Major employers should help with child care – either by subsidizing costs or providing child care at or near the place of work” Philip Cordery, Secretary General of the PES told the seminar.
In the Italian city of Reggio Emilia over one third of pre-school child care services are provided by co-operatives and associations – local community organisations. According to Paola Cavazzoni child services in Reggio are characterized by permanent professional development of employees in child services, family participation and the active involvement of children in the cultural life of the city. “Bambino cittadino” (child citizen) is the uniquely Italian concept of empowering children to take part in city life.
In Brussels it is European money - from the European Social Fund – that has helped finance child care for job-seekers. This is because in Belgium only parents who work can get local authority nursery places, and parents who do not work would have to use private child care. So the Brussels Region employment service sought European funding for child care for job-seekers – freeing parents to go to interviews or undergo skills training.
