illustration for the drivers of inequality

Driver Category 5.7

Unequal access to good quality, affordable childcare, social care, elderly care and other family support services

This driver covers aspects related to the supply of social care for the elderly and people with disabilities aimed at ensuring independent and dignified living.

It also covers how access to childcare, care of the elderly or dependant children with disabilities are important factors affecting women’s lives compared to men’s which is related to specific public policies and investment.

It should also capture differences related to accessing personal services, such as domestic labour, that enables the wealthy to free up time to engage in work and productive and valued activities.

Guiding Questions

General questions

  • What working time and leave policies are in place to enable workers to attend to care needs?
  • Are there formal leave-to-care policies?
  • Are workers entitled to annual and sick leaves, maternity and paternity leave, parental leave and any form of compassionate and emergency leave?
  • Are there limits on working hours and policies to ensure flexible working, part-time working, and job-sharing can be arranged?
  • What efforts are made by trade unions in your country to integrate concerns about caring into negotiations and collective bargaining agreements with management?
  • What policies and services are in place to maximise independence and ensure dignified living for elderly people?
  • Is funding available to cover the cost of carers and modifications to homes?
  • Are appropriate support services available to elderly people to help them live independently, such as medical home visits and transport. Is respite care available for family carers?
  • What policies and services are in place to maximise independence and to ensure dignigied living for people with disabilities?
  • Is funding available to cover the cost of any necessary care needs, modifications to homes, schools and workplaces?
  • Are appropriate support services available to people with disabilities to help them live independently, such as medical home visits and transport. Is respite care availble for family carers?
  • Are appropriate services in place to help support young people with disabilities transition to independent adult life?

Childcare

  • Does the government have a national policy and strategy regarding access to affordable, quality childcare?
  • Does a system exist to provide accreditation to childcare providers, kindergartens, pre-schools etc. and to monitor standards?
  • What analysis exists about the impact of caring for young children on women’s labour force participation and earnings?
  • Are childcare options affordable, convenient and of sufficient quality?
  • Does the government offer any kind of financial support (e.g. voucher systems, or fully subsidised care for low income families, or through tax exemptions) to help families to access childcare facilities?

Elderly care

  • Is there information available on the extent of family caregiving for the elderly (the number of carers and the hours of unpaid care provided by families) and the characteristics of carers (the division of informal care between men and women, the socioeconomic status of carers)?
  • What government policies are in place in relation to elderly care?
  • What types of care services and public support services are available for vulnerable elderly people and how do families access the support they need?
  • What is known about the impact of caring for the elderly on labour force participation and earnings?
  • What evidence exists on how men and women are impacted differently, in terms of leaving work, or reducing working hours, in order to care for the elderly?
  • Is there evidence of lower wages for carers as they select lower-paid jobs or less working hours to accommodate caring responsibilities?
  • What is the balance between informal care provided by unpaid family members, and formal care alternatives – as provided by public systems and/or the private sector?
  • What are the typical monthly costs of full time residential care (for public and private facilities)?
  • How do these costs compare to average wages?
  • What information exists about the home care workforce?
  • How many workers are employed in this sector?
  • Are workers appropriately trained and supported to meet the complex needs of the elderly?
  • What is the average wage paid in the sector (and how does this compare to a minimum/living wage)?
  • How are families meeting costs with regard to the long-term care of the elderly, whether in relation to paying for support to enable older people to stay in the community or paying the costs of a care institution?
  • What costs are families covering directly and what support are they getting from the government to meet costs?
  • What analysis exists regarding how households of different socioeconomic status are coping with elderly care costs?
  • Is any government support properly targeted and is assistance adequate?

Indicators

Potential indicators to monitor the drivers of inequalities in this main driver category

  • Amount of public budget spent on provision of childcare services; amount spent on childcare subsidies
  • % of parental earnings spent on childcare (disaggregated by relevant characteristics)
  • Number of children enrolled in public pre-schools/kindergartens vs enrolled in private facilities (national and per region)
  • Amount of budget spent providing care services to support home and community care of the elderly (total and per region); amount spent on allowances for people caring for family members (total and per household)
  • Amount of budget spent supporting elderly people in residential care (total budget, budget per person)
  • % of household earnings spent on elderly care (disaggregated by relevant characteristics)

Candidate Policies

To see related Candidate Policies in this main driver category please click here.