Daycare workers yesterday protested in Taipei, seeking better working conditions and urging the government to play a larger role in the industry, with advocates saying childcare is a societal right best left in the public’s control.
Childcare should be an entitlement provided by the government, as market-based solutions are incapable of guaranteeing the delivery of quality services, protest organizer the Childcare Policy Alliance said, citing Canadian and South Korean academics.
Private daycare centers outnumber public ones by a ratio of seven to three, which is a severe problem when trying to elevate the quality of care, as commercial operators are incentivized to cut corners for profit, the alliance said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Accepting more than the maximum number of children allowed by the law, hiring people who lack professional credentials and phony teacher-to-child ratios are endemic problems in privately run daycare facilities, it said.
The pressure of commercial competition also contributes to poor working conditions, with low pay and long work hours the norm, it said.
Public daycare centers with prices fixed by government regulations, staffed with state-selected personnel and established in locations according to need rather than profit can deliver good services at an affordable price to all families, the alliance said.
Expansion of the government’s role in daycare is necessary for other reasons, including giving professional women the support they need to raise a family and ensuring women in childcare are not exploited, it said.
The alliance said that 10,000 people attended the protest on Ketalagan Boulevard.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip William Tseng (曾銘宗), who represented the party’s presidential nominee, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), at the protest, said Hou believes that increasing daycare options for children under six would help working families.
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus whip Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠), who represented the TPP’s presidential candidate and chairman, Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), said that Ko is committed to establishing natal leave for parents.
After presenting a petition to the Presidential Office, an alliance spokesperson said that the government has expressed willingness to explore the feasibility of the policy and making financial changes to help meet its demands.
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