Government Chancellor Algirdas Stončaitis authorized the Social Security and Labor Ministry and the Education and Science Ministry to prepare proposals on the model of daycare rooms in state institutions, the government’s press service said.
In Stončaitis’ opinion, daycare rooms in institutions can help better coordination of work and family commitments.
“Good practice of such rooms in foreign countries, for instance, Germany, has proven to be a good thing. In Lithuania, the first daycare rooms were opened by certain business companies. I believe daycare rooms in institutions would be a modern and a socially-responsible step that would help coordinate work and family commitments, as well as make lives easier for working parents,” said the chancellor.
The daycare centers should feature a daycare specialist and educational means, as well as all comply to all hygiene standards. The specialized zones for children would be intended for employees to leave their children in cases when they are unable to leave the children elsewhere due to work commitments or other circumstances, flu quarantine in kindergarten or school.
In Stončaitis’ words, most of the employees of the government’s office are young people with families, therefore, a daycare center would be needed here and would serve as a motivational tool for employees that would allow families more possibilities and “possibly even encourage them to have more children.”