The best deal for free childcare was signed in the Auberge de Castille, covering four years and exceeding a quarter of a billion euros. Prime Minister Robert Abela said that this best deal builds on previous agreements, but increases the investment each year during the applicable period. In total, this best deal for free childcare amounts to €276.7 million.
Dr Abela said that all this confirms how a strong economy remains the key to the prosperity that we must continue to create for Maltese and Gozitan families, and how this growth is being translated into concrete actions that alleviate the burden and enhance the quality of life. He stressed that for the Government, free childcare is not an expense but an investment in families. He said that the Government supports the different choices of families and has even introduced new rights in favour of work-life balance.
In our country, 210 hours of free childcare are being allocated per month, with an average of 50 hours per week, for each child. A study by the Central Bank shows that the free childcare scheme has led to an increase of 6,200 women in the workforce, which means almost €180 million more in wage income for families. Today, the rate of women in the workforce has reached almost 75%, when before 2013 it was below 50%. All this has led to Malta, from a country with the second lowest employment rate in Europe, today being among the best. “Therefore, free childcare is considered an investment that continues to bring economic and social benefits to the country,” stressed the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Robert Abela mentioned how this agreement is being implemented together with other social measures and incentives that are being implemented through this year’s Budget, including two consecutive tax cuts including the one introduced this year for all working parents with one child or two or more children, increases in the Children’s Allowance where more has been achieved than promised and the strengthening of the in-work benefit to continue to incentivize people to contribute to the world of work.
The Prime Minister also referred to the new measure which includes the best deal for free childcare, that of an allowance of €520 per year, in addition to the salary, which will be given to every Maltese-speaking childcarer, both Maltese and others who currently speak the Maltese language. Dr Abela also noted the important basis for educational development that the childcare service provides.
Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Employment Byron Camilleri said, “One of the priorities we set when we began negotiating this agreement, not only as the Minister responsible, but also as the father of a daughter who benefits from Childcare and who I want to see speak Maltese well, is that we not only retain Maltese-speaking childcare workers in the sector but also encourage others to choose this career.”
“What was signed today is the best agreement for the free childcare scheme. We have invested more in it so that this service continues to be strong and continues to be provided for free, to strengthen the income of workers in the sector and to have a consistent and ever-better service for families. Sometimes we are tempted to forget how much progress this country has made in the last few years. However, the positive changes have been great and enormous. Like free education, like free health, like pensions, today free childcare is a right for everyone. In these little over ten years, thousands of families have benefited from it and the same will continue to happen. To date, there have been 40,643 children who have attended this service. This was one of the biggest measures to help and support families in recent years. This is how we helped everyone. This is how we created a new middle-class,” concluded Minister Camilleri.
Along with Prime Minister Robert Abela and Minister Byron Camilleri, this agreement was also attended by Principal Permanent Secretary Tony Sultana, Jobsplus Chairperson Charmaine Cristiano, Chief Operations Officer of the Malta Chamber of SMEs Andrew Aquilina and Elizabeth Parnis from the Childcare Centre Providers Association .
While the Permanent Secretary within the Ministry for Home Affairs, Security and Employment Joyce Dimech, the CEO of Jobsplus Celia Falzon, the President of the Malta Chamber of SMEs Paul Abela and the President of the Childcare Centre Providers Association Simon Zammit signed this agreement.
Photo: OPM/DOI
