Affordable childcare

Childcare is the key to combining work and the household for many families and is a responsibility of both women and men. In reality, much more women than men carry the burden of childcare and are consequently forced to stop working or work part time. This limits the economic and human freedom of women, prevents the working force from achieving its true number, and poses an unwanted choice between having children and wanting to work.

A European directive that requires Member States to provide universal and affordable high quality childcare needs to be adopted as soon as possible. The link between childcare and the empowerment of women as well as of the working force in an aging society needs to be acknowledged. The directive also has to recognise the rights of the child and ensure that childcare is of high quality, including both personal attention and educational hours.