Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/286290
News maltatoday, Sunday, 30 March 2014 Free childcare starts next week following providers' agreement The government has signed a formal agreement with service providers for the provision of free childcare serv- ices for working parents. The signing was presided by edu- cation Minister evarist Bartolo, and Finance Minister edward Scicluna yesterday. The free childcare service agree- ment is expected to result in an in- crease in usage of childcare services by 350,000 hours between April and December this year when compared to the same period last year. As from April, 1,800 mothers are expected to be able to benefit from this service. On average, children will spend four additional hours in childcare than at present. The current average is 22.1 hours per week. The amount of working women who will be able to start benefiting from free child- care as from next week has exceeded 150 based on current estimates. The agreement will mean an in- crease in the income of childcare service providers by approximately €1 million, further supporting the industry. edward Scicluna said the govern- ment was looking towards the free childcare services initiative as a tan- gible solution to Malta's long-stand- ing low rate of female labour par- ticipation, which was also identified as one of Malta's Country Specific Recommendations by the european Union. Bartolo emphasised that while childcare centres were important to working parents, they should not be viewed as centres where parents could 'park' their children during the most developmentally-sensitive time of their young lives. he called on the childcare service providers to ensure that their service provided an edu- cational and developmental function, and urged them to work to provide the best possible service, in the interest of the success of the initiative and the well-being of the children. Education minister Evarist Bartolo (right) and finance minister Edward Scicluna announced the agreement with service providers of childcare