There is limited evidence on effective and sustainable models for expanding childcare services for low-income households, especially in Bangladesh, where childcare needs are widely regarded as a barrier to women’s employment. BRAC aims to run a project to support caregivers and working mothers living in such neighbourhoods and has been piloting a home-based childcare model that uses a play-based approach. This study aims to measure the impact of childcare services on mother as well as generate formative evidence of home-based childcare for new entrepreneurs.
Researchers: Munshi Sulaiman; Shaila Ahmed; Sakila Yesmin; Diva Dhar; Anandi Mani
Partners: BRAC Urban Development Programme (BRAC UDP), BRAC Institute of Educational Development (BRAC IED), ICDDR,B, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)
Timeline: 2023-2026
Status: Ongoing
Contact: Raisa Adiba; raisa.adiba@bracu.ac.bd
Context
The importance of quality childcare for the cognitive and holistic development of children is well-established in global literature. Although the effect of childcare on women’s employment and well-being has mainly been explored in the context of high-income countries, there is a growing body of literature that has found a positive relationship between childcare and women’s employment or income in developing country contexts as well. With this growing evidence on employment outcomes for mothers in various contexts, there is a recognition of the need for understanding the impact of childcare services on women’s psychosocial well-being and social empowerment. More importantly, there is limited evidence on effective and sustainable models for expanding childcare services for low-income households. Particularly in Bangladesh, for instance, the need for childcare is generally recognized as a barrier to women’s employment. Recognizing the need for quality childcare service for low-income households, especially for women who work in garment factories, BRAC has been piloting a home-based childcare model that supports children’s socio-emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development using a play-based approach.
Objectives
The primary objective of this study is to measure the impact of (the quality) childcare on mothers, particularly their employment prospects and socio-emotional well-being. A secondary objective is to generate formative evidence of the “enterprise economics” of home-based childcare for new entrepreneurs, particularly with respect to supply-side and credit constraints, the correlation of the quality of services with child development outcomes, and the prospect of a subsidy to create demand for childcare.
This study is relevant to SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), which strives for sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. It is also relevant to SDG 5 (gender equality), which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Methodology
The proposed research has an experimental design with a non-experimental component and operational research. For the experimental part, potential new entrepreneurs in the treatment group will be provided with training on play-based childcare services and materials, as well as entrepreneurial training. Within this treatment group, clients will be randomized into three groups: a) receive only the information about childcare services available at their respective entrepreneurs, b) information with a cash transfer, and c) a scholarship/subsidy to avail the service. The non-experimental component of this research project will mainly be a pre-post comparison to measure any changes in mothers’ employment and mental health status and the level of their trust in service providers after the existing entrepreneurs receive the training and material support from the project. The operational research component will include a study of the culture, beliefs, practices, and gendered relationships of the communities, as well as their idea of care-based practices. Further, a series of interviews, FGDs, and other qualitative methods will be used to gauge the community’s reflections on the interventions.
Findings and Recommendations
Forthcoming
