Study: Day care expansion eases women's unpaid care load in low-income settings

Dr Timothy Abuya, lead researcher with Population Council of Kenya during the release of the study on Thursday at Panari Hotel, Nairobi. [James Wanzala]

Scaling up a social-franchise model of daycare centers can reduce effects of unpaid care work, among women in low-income settings of Nairobi.

This will help them improve work-life balance and also drive economic growth.

This is according to a study; Enhancing and Scaling Up Impacts of a Social-Franchise Model of Daycare Centers to Reduce Effects Of Unpaid Care Work, released on Thursday in Nairobi by Population Council Kenya during a conference.

The conference brought together daycare providers, parents, development partners, researchers and government officials to discuss the growing role of childcare services in supporting families and local economies.

The study sought to understand how quality childcare services can reduce the burden of unpaid care work that disproportionately falls on women while improving outcomes for children.

It was done in conjunction with Consortium of Women Empowerment and Tiny Totos Kenya(TTK), which is a social enterprise working to transform childcare in Africa from crisis into opportunity.

The findings of the study point to improved child outcomes, nutritional status and positive impact on unpaid care work.

On improved child outcomes, it was noted that increased frequency of use by new and existing clients is expected to contribute to multiple outcomes.

These included improved developmental milestones for children who attend TTK affiliated daycares and improved nutritional status

This was measured by looking at the percentage of children meeting developmental milestones for age and of who have healthy nutrition status.

It measured childcare development indicators on cognitive, language, emotional and overall statuses. caregiver economic participation and the redistribution of unpaid care responsibilities within households Read

On cognitive status, the report says duration of a day care in the TTK network is not associated with improvement in cognitive status of the child but decrease of duration of use by a month is associated with a 3 per cent decrease in cognitive status of the child.

Female children had a 20 per cent chance of exhibiting positive cognitive status compared to the boys.

A decrease in utilisation of day care by a month is associated with a 4 per cent decrease in language status, a 4 per cent decrease in social emotional status of the child while and a 3 per cent reduction in the overall status of the child.

Female children had a 16 per cent chance of exhibiting positive status compared to the boys.

A 24 per cent of males were stunted compared with 19 per cent of the females.

Two thirds or 67 per cent of the children were healthy with more females (69 per cent) recording better outcomes compared with male children at 64 per cent.

On impact on unpaid care work, the study found that improved user engagement increases frequency of use of day care allowing care givers more time to participate in economic activities, boosting family income and increase their ability to meet their children’s basic needs.

“User engagement increase caregivers understanding of the burden of unpaid care work positively impacting unpaid childcare roles,” said the study.

Dr Timothy Abuya, the lead researcher said the study found that access to daycare services significantly reduces the amount of time mothers spend caring for children, enabling them to pursue employment and other income-generating opportunities.

“Those using day care more than two days a week reported increased ability to focus on work compared to those using two days a week. The more days one uses the better the child becomes in terms of nutrition, safety, security and peace for the child,” said Abuya.

He added: “Older women; 30 to 34 years were almost twice more likely to report that use of day care increased their ability to focus on work compared with 20 to 24-year-old women.”

Single women were significantly more likely to report that use of daycare increased their ability to focus on work compared with married individuals.

Those with tertiary education were also twice more likely to report that use affects ability to focus on work compared to primary level of education.

Poorest were twice more likely to report ability to focus on work compared with the higher quintiles:

The study showed that use of daycare had a 0.7 percentage point reduction on time spent on unpaid care work among the respondents, 5.7 hours at baseline and 5 hours at end line.

Women during end line were less likely to spend more time on unpaid care work compared to baseline, while those that have been in program longer were less likely to spend more time in unpaid care work compared to short stay.

Single women were significantly less likely to experience unpaid care work compared to married women.

Educated women were less likely to report higher levels of unpaid care work compared with those with primary level of education.

Poorer women are more likely to report higher levels of unpaid care work compared to those in upper quintiles.

The study also found out that utilisation of childcare centres are impacted by economic instability brought about by low incomes of parents, denying them power to pay fees and instead choosing to pay rent for their houses.

Others are household dynamics and caregiving structures, logistical and operational limitations linked with inflexible opening hours and access to technology.

In conclusion, the study found that enhancement of quality childcare services through professionalization contributed to a marginal reduction of 0.7 percentage point on time spent on unpaid care work among the respondents and use of day care does not have an impact on increased income or personal time to relax.

“I hope this encourage policy makers and stakeholders to continue providing these daycare services,” said Dr Abuya.

“We call upon the County Government of Nairobi to reduce the cost of permit licences or allow to pay in beats to establish a day care to an affordable amount,” he added.