The Ministry of Children is working on an early childhood childcare services framework.

This is in alliance with the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group.

Minister Rosy Akbar says the partnership with IFC will ensure the development of basic minimum standards for early childcare services and introduce a licensing and inspection system for service providers.

Akbar says this agreement comes in the wake of the 2019 IFC study that showed that 43 percent of the workforce have pre-school aged children but only eight percent use childcare services.

She adds that most working parents rely on family members or unqualified babysitters to care for their children while at work.

This is Fiji’s First Early Childhood Care Services Policy Framework that aims to foster better outcomes for children, including in health, safety and nutrition, and support for working parents.