Add us as your preferred source on Google to see more of our content in Search.
Add to Preferred SourcesBusinesses and governments urgently need to invest in families to reduce poverty and lay the foundation for children’s healthy development and adults’ success at work, UNICEF said in a new policy brief outlining the latest evidence and new recommendations on family-friendly policies.
Family-Friendly Policies: Redesigning the Workplace of the Future notes that policies such as paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, child benefits, and affordable, accessible and quality childcare are not yet available for the majority of parents worldwide.
“There is no other time more critical to children’s lives than their earliest years,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “Which is why we need a transformative shift in how businesses and governments invest in policies and practices that not only support healthy brain development but also strengthen the bond between parents and their children – and reap huge economic and social benefits in return.”
The policy brief draws on evidence on the health, educational and economic benefits of family-friendly policies and makes the following four recommendations:
- Paid parental leave: At least six months of paid leave for all parents combined, of which 18 weeks of paid leave should be reserved for mothers. Governments and businesses should strive for up to 12 months of combined paid leave.
- Breastfeeding support: Regular lactation breaks during working hours to accommodate breastfeeding or the expression of breastmilk, and a supportive breastfeeding environment including adequate facilities enable mothers to continue exclusive or complementary breastfeeding after returning to work.
- Universal childcare: Universal access to affordable, quality childcare from the end of parental leave until a child’s entry into the first grade of school, including before- and after-care for young children and pre-primary programmes.
- Child benefits: Expand coverage of cash benefits for all children, starting with the youngest children and working toward universal coverage. Child benefits should be part of all countries’ social protection system for young children.
The gains of family-friendly policies far outweigh the cost of implementation: improved health outcomes, reductions in poverty, increased business productivity, and economic growth.
Read and download the Family-Friendly Policies: Redesigning the Workplace of the Future.
Original source: UNICEF
Published on 18 July 2019