2015年-世界发展银行全球_Why_Should_We_Care_about_Care____The_Role_of_Childcare_and_Eldercare_in_Kosovo_45页_1mb

Summary of "Why Should We Care About Care? The Role of Childcare and Eldercare in Kosovo"

Core Content

This document explores the challenges and opportunities related to childcare and eldercare in Kosovo, emphasizing their impact on female labor participation and the broader economy. It highlights the role of formal and informal care and proposes policy interventions to improve the care system.

Main Points

1. Female Labor Participation and Care Burden

• Despite a rise in female labor participation between 2012 and 2013, 79% of working-age women remain out of the labor market in Kosovo.
• The conflicting demands of care and work create a vicious cycle of low labor market attachment and increased gender-based inequalities.
• Caregiving affects both extensive (participation in the labor force) and intensive (working hours) margins of labor supply, leading to reduced human capital accumulation and lower lifetime earnings for caregivers.

2. The Role of Care in Economic Development

• A formal care industry could help increase labor force participation and productivity, contributing to sustainable development.
• Childcare and eldercare are critical for enabling women with low skills to participate in the workforce and for children's development.
• The current demographic situation in Kosovo offers a unique opportunity for economic growth, poverty reduction, and public finance strengthening due to the low dependency ratio on economically active individuals.

3. Care Supply and Demand in Kosovo

• Childcare supply is limited, with many facilities over capacity.
• Unaffordability is a major barrier to childcare use.
• High child-staff ratios and lack of infrastructure are the main challenges for quality childcare provision.
• Eldercare supply is limited and expensive, with few day-based services available.
• Infrastructure and safety are the key issues for quality eldercare.

4. Social Norms and Perceptions

• Social norms significantly influence caregiving roles, especially for eldercare.
• Filial obligations often fall more on daughters and daughters-in-law, reinforcing traditional caregiving roles.
• Negative perceptions of childcare use, such as the belief that children suffer if their mothers work, are widespread and affect demand.
• Day-care centers and home-based care are more compatible with social norms than residential care.

5. Policy Recommendations

• Expand publicly provided childcare centers.
• Implement public subsidies for private childcare.
• Develop education and accreditation programs for caregivers and care-entrepreneurs.
• Improve service quality by addressing child-staff ratios and infrastructure.
• Revise the legal framework to better adapt to care demands and expectations.

Key Information

• Childcare Use: In Kosovo, 98.4% of women with children 0–14 rely on maternal care without using any formal or informal childcare services.
• Eldercare Use: Only 4.8% of women who care for the elderly in Kosovo use formal care arrangements, while 14.3% use informal care.
• Formal vs. Informal Care: In most Western Balkans countries, informal care is the primary mode of care, with formal care being underutilized.
• Caregiving Impact: Caregiving has a negative effect on labor market outcomes, including lower wages and reduced work hours.
• Data Collection: A new mixed-methods dataset was collected in seven Western Balkans countries, including Kosovo, to assess care supply and demand.

Conclusion

The document underscores the importance of care services in reducing gender inequality and supporting economic growth in Kosovo. It emphasizes the need for policy reforms that improve accessibility, affordability, and quality of care services, particularly for childcare and eldercare, to enable greater labor market participation and sustainable development.