Research by the academic Marcela Mello, from the School of Economics and Business Studies, shows that this public policy improves the quality of life of families, promotes gender equality and has positive effects both economically and socially.
Access to childcare services is one of the keys to improving mothers' permanence in the labor market. According to Marcela Mello, a researcher in the area of labor and gender policies at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Having access to childcare not only eases the burden of care for mothers, but also allows them to increase their income, improve their economic independence and ensure a better future for their children.
"In Chile, although access to these services has improved in recent years, coverage remains insufficient. Less than 20% of children in the country have access to formal daycare centers, which creates a disadvantage for many mothers seeking to balance their work and family responsibilities. In Brazil, for example, the situation is more favorable in some regions, where access to daycare has increased significantly. In São Paulo, over a 10-year period, coverage went from 20% to 80%, a change that resulted in a significant improvement in mothers' participation in the formal labor market," Marcela explains.
The benefit of these policies is not only limited to mothers. By increasing female participation in the labor market, tax revenue increases, which benefits the country's economy. "In addition, access to daycare has a crucial impact on the development of children, who receive proper care, education and nutrition, which contributes to improving their cognitive and physical development."The researcher explains.
However, policies must be adapted to the needs of mothers and be accessible to all families, especially those in the most vulnerable sectors. To this end, measures such as government subsidies to ensure that daycare centers are affordable, extended hours of care, and improved quality of education and care are needed. "Other key measures include the creation of daycare centers close to homes and more flexible work schedules. In this sense, the childcare subsidy system could be more effective than relying exclusively on companies, since not all companies are obliged to offer this service. In Nordic countries, where maternity and paternity leave policies are more widespread, a better balance between work and family life has been achieved, which could be an example for other countries such as Chile or Brazil", comments the expert.
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