Childcare services

Definition
Childcare services are offered to children aged between three months up to three years. Childcare can be characterised as formal or informal. Formal childcare often encompasses education at pre-school or compulsory school, childcare at centre-based services before or after school hours and childcare at daycare centres. Informal childcare comprises childcare offered by grandparents, other relations, older brothers and sisters of the child, neighbours and friends of the child's parents, babysitters who provide short term home-based childcare for financial reward and unregistered nannies. Free Childcare Scheme is a system whereby government provides free childcare services to children whose parents are in work or in education. Parents are entitled to free childcare for all children of childcare-age, at a rate which is pro-rata to the mother's (or single father) employment hours. The childcare service is either provided directly through government services or alternatively through registered childcare centres.



Source(s)

NEWS RELEASE: Childcare and Early Years in Malta

Statistics on Income and Living Conditions

Back to Statistical Concepts