Sharjah24: A study titled "Challenges Faced by Employed Mothers in Childcare," conducted by the Knowledge Management Section within the Sharjah Social Services Department (SSSD), has recommended the necessity of establishing neighbourhood-based daycare centres (in-home daycare for non-working mothers) to look after the children of employed mothers during their working hours. This would generate income for a group requiring employment through licensed daycare centres that meet specific criteria. The proposal for in-home daycare centres has been submitted to the relevant authorities.
The study's objective is to understand the situations and obstacles encountered by employed mothers in tending to and raising their children, as well as safeguarding them from potential risks resulting from the extended absence of mothers due to work.
Furthermore, the study, which involved 169 working mothers in government sectors in Sharjah, under the age of 40, with children in the early and middle childhood stages, also suggests an increase in the number of on-site daycare facilities at workplaces to address the limited capacity of external daycare centres available away from the workplace. It also recommends setting a maximum pricing limit for daycare subscriptions, tailored to the services provided by each daycare, to alleviate the financial strain on families caused by high subscription costs.
The study, conducted over the past year in 2022, advises that mothers transition to remote work after their maternity leave until their child completes their first year, as infants at this stage require natural breastfeeding.
It is important to note that the majority of the study's participants are married (93.4%), indicating that these mothers still bear multiple roles and responsibilities as wives, mothers, and homemakers. About 5.7% of the sample are divorced, all of whom are Emirati citizens. The majority of the working mothers in the study are Emirati citizens (78.3%), with approximately 21.7% being non-Emirati. Most of the mothers in the study hold a university degree (71.2%).
The analysis of the study also revealed that most of the mothers in the study sample live in nuclear families (75.5%), while 24.5% of them reside in extended families. This suggests that living in extended families can provide employed mothers with support from family members in caring for their children during their working hours, reducing the potential negative impact of caregivers on children and their exposure to risks such as violence or harm.
The study revealed that the implementation of the new working hours system in Sharjah, where daily work hours amount to approximately 8 hours, has resulted in mothers being absent from their children for roughly 8 hours and 54 minutes per day, which is nearly 9 hours daily. This extended absence is particularly notable for children who have not yet started their formal education.
The primary motivating factor for working women in the majority of the study's participants is to boost their family's income and meet their growing financial needs, accounting for 81.5% of respondents. This inclination is especially prominent among Emirati working mothers, as they aspire to improve their family's financial situation and cater to their increasing needs. The second motivating factor is that women perceive work as a fundamental right for every individual and seek to exercise this right.
Regarding the financial aspect of enrolling children in daycare, the study uncovered that 63.6% of parents make monthly payments for daycare registration fees, while around 27.3% opt for per-term payments, and approximately 9.1% make daily payments. These fees can place a strain on a family's budget, particularly when a woman works to enhance her family's standard of living, compelling her to search for alternative childcare options, such as daycare.
Positive effects stemming from a child's experience during their time in daycare include increased social interaction and the development of relationships with peers and caregivers, accounting for 27.8%. Some children also become more self-reliant in terms of eating, as observed in approximately 5.6% of cases.
On the flip side, negative effects include a rise in aggressive behaviour among children, identified in around 16.7% of cases after enrolling in daycare. Approximately 16.7% reported that children develop a dislike for daycare, potentially due to the fear of separation from their mothers. Finally, 5.6% were reported to have acquired certain undesirable behaviours.
Approximately 79.5% of mothers who depend on caregivers leave their children exclusively in the company of the caregiver. The concern here is that caregivers might engage in practices that could impact children adversely in the absence of family members. Children might be exposed to violence or influenced by the caregiver's religious beliefs, and their language skills could be affected, as most caregivers primarily use English or rudimentary Arabic.
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