22 April 2022 – From 25 April, new provisions of the Labour Code and the Education Code come into force, allowing employers to set up crèches for employees’ children on the premises of companies. The amendments were voted by Parliament in March this year, allowing employers to provide childcare for their employees aged 0-3 years, according to the regulatory framework approved by the Government. At the same time, MEPs agreed that all costs for this type of service will be borne by the employer.

Once the new provisions enter into force, the Government must, within two months, bring its relevant legislation into line with the new amendments and adopt legislation to implement the law. With the support of UN Women, a number of proposals are being worked on, such as the law on childcare vouchers and the regulation on the organisation and operation of childcare services for children aged 0-3 provided by employers.
The need for the creation of Early Childhood Education Centres for employees’ children is promoted by UN Women Moldova, which has also raised the issue with the Prime Minister on the Economic Council platform. During the discussions with the business community and representatives of state institutions, it was mentioned that the opening of children’s centres in companies would encourage women to return to work before the end of their maternity leave.

Statistics show that in 2020 the employment rate of women aged 25-49 with at least one child of pre-school age is 35.5%, considerably lower than that of men, which is 64%. The same data show that on average about 16% of the total number of children aged 1-2 years are enrolled in early education institutions, which shows that such services in Moldova are still very few.

The topic is part of the Roadmap for Women’s Economic Empowerment, developed by the Secretariat of the Economic Council under the Prime Minister of Moldova, with the support of UN Women and with financial support from Sweden.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund.