2,400 children enrolled in Government’s free childcare scheme

The Labour Party said that around 2,400 children are enrolled in the free childcare scheme that the Government launched last April.

Through this scheme, parents are entitled to free childcare services based on how many hours they work or study. Part-time students are entitled to 20 hours of free childcare a week, while full-time students are entitled to 40 hours a week.

The Labour Party described this service as one that “gives working women the opportunity to advance their careers while finding a balance between work and family life.”

The free childcare service was discussed during a meeting between the women’s sector of the Labour Party, ‘Nisa Laburisti’ and Civil Rights Minister Helena Dalli as preparation for the conference entitled “Women-Leaders in a changing society” that will be held on Friday, 22 August. Zita Gurmai, the President of the women’s section of the European Socialist Party will speak at this conference.

Dalli said that the Government is committed to improving the opportunities available for women in every sector. “The work that is going on in the education, health, social, political and economical clearly shows how committed this Government is to the development of women,” Dalli said.

Claudette Abela Baldacchino, President of Nisa Laburisti, said that “while we are politically and morally obliged to place the needs of vulnerable women at the top of our agenda, we can’t forget the success stories of  those women who managed to create businesses, advance in their careers, and advance in politics.”

“Investment in young women, particularly with regards education is crucial,” Abela Baldacchino said. “However, we can’t forget those women who sacrificed their careers to take care of their aging relatives.”