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I. RATIONALE

The last two decades witnessed a tremendous rise in the number of women joining the labor force. Between 1973 and 1994, the number of women joining the labor force more than doubled from 4.8 million in 1973 to 10.1 million in 1994.

The promotion of Export Processing Zones as a strategy for national industrialization and the booming local industries has created new job opportunities for more women. Though generally considered a positive development for increasing the availability of jobs, these establishments are also known to impose high production quotas on their women workers requiring them therefore to work uninterruptedly for long hours including at night.

The schedule of work does not only prove hazardous for women going home late at night but also to their children. Recent study on intrafamilial violence conducted by UP Center for Women Studies and the DSWD revealed that most child abuses take place at home while the parents particularly the mothers are at work. One in every 4 victim of child abuse are not even old enough to be in school. More specifically younger children are more susceptible to physical abuse and neglect especially when there are no responsible adults to take care of them. This underscores the need for supervised child care for young children of mothers working on night shifts.

II. LEGAL BASIS

•           1987 Philippine Constitution recognizes the role of women in nation building and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of men and women.

•           EO 123 mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development to promote women's welfare with specific attention to the prevention or creation of exploitation in any form including and illegal recruitment as well as the promotion of skills for employment and self-actualization.

•           RA 7192 otherwise known as "Women in Development and Nation Building Act" ensures the fundamental equality of women and men.

•           RA 5490 authorized the building of more free zones where women's labor power could be harnessed.

•           The Labor Code of the Philippines requires the employers of industries to establish a nursery in the workplace for the benefit of the women employees/workers therein.

III. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

General Objective - To provide supervised care to children of working mothers especially those working at nighttime to protect them from abuse and neglect.

Specific Objectives

1.         To provide women opportunities to accept jobs even on night shifts without sacrificing their role as mothers thus, enabling them to concentrate on their work and become more productive;

2.         To ensure the safety of young children, ages 3 months to 6 years, of working mothers who are out for work at night time;

3.         To provide opportunities for children of working mothers on night shifts to promote their physical/mental or cognitive, spiritual and emotional development.

4.         To provide temporary shelter to mothers working on night shift where they can stay after their work until safe enough to go back to their families.

IV. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The project is a preventive measure in the elimination of occurrence of violence against women and young children. It provides childcare mechanism where mothers working on a night shift could safely leave their children especially the young/helpless children. In addition, this support mechanism will be a "haven" where they can stay the rest of the night until it is safe enough for them and their young children to go back to their families.

The Night Care Center shall be established near the vicinity of the establishment where the mothers work. For the pilot phase, the center shall be set up in two regions where prevalence of working mothers on night shift is high. For continued implementation of the project, more centers shall be. established within or near the Export Processing Zones in the country where there is a high percentage of women participation in the labor force without caregivers for their young children.

V. PROJECT COMPONENTS

1.         Social Preparation — Setting up of night care facility and identification of beneficiaries shall be included in the social preparation aspect. Coordination with the establishments or the employers shall also be facilitated to ensure better partnership with them in the implementation of the project. The prospective beneficiaries shall be identified from the DSWD survey results or from the masterlist of the local Social Welfare and Development office if there is any. Consultation with the prospective mother beneficiaries shall be conducted to get their inputs and other concerns in the effective project implementation.

2.         Training of Night Care Givers — The training of night care givers and social workers shall be conducted to equip them of the appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills in handling children at the center. Likewise, the MSWDO/social workers in the area should be oriented on the project and its operation.

3          Case Management

a.      Child Care Services — The services to be provided for young children shall compose of the following activities:

•           Play Session — Play session provides time for indoor and outdoor play. Play offers opportunities for learning which allows the children to use their physical energy, stimulates intellectual/cognitive growth and offers opportunities for the development of social values. It also satisfies their need to be active, to explore, to investigate and be adventurous.

•           Feeding — This involves the provision of food and non-food assistance to children while at the center at the rate. of P/25.00 per day per child. Food support will be provided while the mothers do not have the money yet to provide for such. Feeding activities will help the children develop proper eating habits and maintain and improve nutritional status.

•           Wash-up/Bath — Washing-up/bathing will help to develop establish behavior patterns that develop personal values or proper hygiene/health habits.

•           Bedtime Stories — Before sleeping time, the children will be provided with bedtime stories to entertain them, inculcate social values and develop appreciation for literature. It can also be used to develop their language skills and learn sequencing of ideas while at the same time increasing their vocabulary and broadening their experiences.

b.      Support Services — A package of social welfare support services will be rendered to the center's clientele whenever necessary through proper accessing to the services of the local Social Welfare and Development office and other agencies. It shall be the responsibility of the night care giver to refer the clients to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer/municipal social worker for other needs which are not provided by the Center.

3.         Monitoring, Evaluation and Documentation — This shall include the conduct of regular project monitoring to ensure effective and efficient project management. Evaluation of the project shall also be conducted after the pilot phase to determine effectiveness of the strategy.

VI. GENERAL POLICIES

1.         Eligibility Requirements

1.1.          Children

a.)   children of working mothers
b.)   3 months to 6 years old
c.)   have no responsible adults to take care of while the mothers are at work
d.)   have undergone physical/medical examination before admission to the center whether or not they are physically able to participate in the center's activities and is free of communicable disease. If ill, the child must be referred for treatment

1.2.          Night Care Givers

a.)   shall posses the needed educational qualification, i.e, a graduate of BS Social Work BS Nursing, Child Psychology or any Behavioral Science Courses
b.)   have had experiences in working with children and women
c.)   physically, mentally and emotionally healthy

1.3.          Night Care Center

a.)     Physical

•           The Night Care Center shall have a floor area of at least 15" x 18" meters to provide enough space for the activities and rest/sleeping area for the children.

•           There should be available potable water supply, proper ventilation, fire fighting equipment, first aid cabinet, toilet and washing area, nursery for infants and toddlers.

•           The center must exude a homey atmosphere and have pastel painted walls, child oriented pictures, and paintings, matching curtains, flower, boxes etc. and should be placed where the children can be comfortable and have fun.

•           There should be a locker or similar covered space for each child where they can put personal belongings or things they use while in the center.

•           Availability of space for eating and the appropriate eating paraphernalia for the children. There should be at least one set of eating paraphernalia for each child.

•           The safety of the child must be ensured in the center, hence, appropriate chairs, tables, beds should be made available for them.

b.)     Program

•           Appropriate program materials for children's activities should also be made available in the center. A minimum of the required program materials shall be kept in the center for the children's use.

•           Availability of manipulative materials for structured play that will develop the children's fine and large motor skills, symbols/materials that will inculcate proper values of the children both for love of God and country, and other materials that will develop the children's appreciation for arts and music.

•           Availability of enough storybooks and visual aids for storytelling

•           The importance and value of nutrition and health care should be integrated in the activities for the children. The social value of food should be taught or demonstrated for the children to acquire good eating habits. There should also be a conduct of monthly weighing to monitor health and status of children availing the night care services.

•           The night care session shall be provided for a minimum of 3-4 hours before sleeping time. The session shall include activities such as indoor free play, clean-up, feeding, wash-up/bath and bedtime stories.

1.3.      Support Assistance

•           The center shall also make available other services for the children. The Night Care Giver shall coordinate with health personnel for possible immunization and deworming of children. The children shall also undergo physical/medical examination before admission to the center whether or not they are physically able to participate in the center's activities and is free from communicable diseases. If ill, the child must be referred for treatment.

•           Food and non-food assistance shall be provided at P/25.00 per day per child in case the mother does not have yet the money to buy for the needs of the child. However, these items should be replaced by them.

1.4.      Working mothers who are living far from their houses may avail of the center for their temporary stay. For instance, mother who are out for work at 10:00 p.m. or 2:00 a.m. shifts may avail for a short stay at the center until it is safe enough for her and the children to go back home to their families.

1.5.      The services of the center shall not be limited to one child per mother. The center can accommodate more than 2 to 3 children per family provided they meet the eligibility requirement.

2.         The center shall accommodate at least 30 children at any given time and shall be manned by one Social Welfare Officer II and Night Care Giver to look after the children.

3.         Parents shall be organized into Parents Committee as a support group to the Center.

4.         The LGUs/NGOs and the management of the establishments/factories shall be properly coordinated in the implementation of the project. The establishments/factories shall provide the Night Care Center to ensure accessibility to the working mothers which will enable them to concentrate on their work thus, ensure maximum production.

5.         After the pilot implementation, the night care facility shall be turned over to the host LGUs for continued project implementation/institutionalization.

VII. IMPLEMENTING DETAILS

1.         Social Preparation

1.1.      Situational Analysis - Survey of the industries/establishments particularly in Export Processing Zones shall be first conducted to determine the need for the Night Care facility and to establish the profile of the working mothers. There shall also be conduct of information and education campaign for both the working mothers, the employers and the LGUs to have an awareness and understanding of the problem of child abuse and neglect to ensure their participation to the project implementation.

1.2.      Identification of Beneficiaries - The result of the survey conducted shall determine the number and profile of the eligible beneficiaries to avail of the Night Care Center. The existing data based from the DSWD survey results shall be validated by the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer in the target area to update the masterlist of beneficiaries. The MSWDO shall initiate contact/social preparation of the working mothers for them to avail of the night care service. The employers will also assist in the validation/updating masterlist of prospective beneficiaries.

1.3.      Setting up of Night Care Facility - The factories/industries shall identify the facility which will serve as the Night Care Center. If not available, the Local Government Units shall provide for the facility. The Center must meet the minimum requirement to provide child care services to the target beneficiaries and shall be equipped with appropriate facilities/equipments

2.         Training of Night Care Givers = The night care givers shall be equipped with knowledge, skills and appropriate attitudes in the management of the Center. The MSWDO shall be trained and oriented on the operationalization of the project particularly on the conduct of social preparation to the community. The capability building activities shall be in coordination with the Human Resource and Development Bureau.

3.         Case Management

3.1    Provision of Child Care Services - While at the Center, the children shall be provided with a package of child care services not only for temporary care but also to provide opportunities for children's total development. Mothers who are out for work can be assured that their children are well taken cared of.

3.2.   Access to Support Services -    Medical and other services needed by the clients shall be made available for the children. It is the primary responsibility of the Night Care Giver to network with appropriate agencies (e.g., health centers, MSWDO, DECS, etc.) for possible support services needed

4          Temporary Shelter to Working Mothers - After their work, the mothers can also avail of the facility as their temporary shelter particularly to those who are living far from their residence. The center serves as a haven for both mother and child until it is safe enough to go home to their families.

5.         Monitoring, Evaluation and Documentation –

•        The Night Care Giver shall document the progress of the project implementation through the submission of monthly status report of the center's operation indicating among others, other interventions extended (e.g., referral services, coordination with other agencies, etc.) A quarterly evaluation shall be conducted to determine gaps and strengths of the project implementation.

•        The DSWD Field Office shall conduct monitoring to determine effectiveness of the strategy at the identified pilot night care centers.

•        The Programs and Special Projects Bureau shall also visit the pilot centers to validate reports submitted to the Field Offices and to provide technical assistance in the implementation whenever necessary. Quarterly status report of implementation shall be submitted to the Secretary and a terminal evaluation report after the pilot phase.

VIII. OUTPUT/IMPACT INDICATORS

Output Indicators

•           No. of children of working mothers who have availed of the night care facility
•           No. of women workers on night shift who availed of the center as a temporary shelter of their pre-school children
•           No. of children/mothers or their families referred to the local SWD office for other support services

Impact Indicators

•           Increased productivity of working mothers on night shifts
•           Decreased cases of any kind of child neglect
•           Decreased cases of abuses/accidents at night involving working mothers

IX. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

The project shall be operationalized with the involvement of the following units:

1.         Department of Social Welfare and Development

1.1.          Programs and Special Projects Bureau

•        Develops guidelines in the implementation of the project
•        Conducts capability building/training of social workers/care givers involved in the project in coordination with the Human Resource and Development Bureau
•        Provides technical assistance to SWA, social workers, care givers on project implementation
•        Allocates and releases funds needed in the operationalization of the project
•        Coordinates/initiates networking with NGOs, GOs, POs, for possible replication/institutionalization of the project
•        Conducts monitoring, evaluation and documentation of the pilot testing

1.2.          Field Office

•        Identifies and validates target areas/clients and assists the Bureau in the conduct of pilot testing
•        Provides direct supervision and technical assistance to care givers implementing the project
•        Conducts regular monitoring and assessment of the project and submit quarterly report to PSPB
•        Coordinates with LGUs/NGOs, GOs, POs for other support services/resources, e.g., medical services, etc.

2.         Local Government Units

•   Identifies/recruits working mothers/clients who wish to avail of the night care facility
•   Provides other support services/logistics needed in the center
•   Identifies and provides a night care center for the children in case the industries cannot provide for such

3.         Industries

•        Identifies and provide a night care facility within the vicinity of the establishment in coordination with the Local Government Units
•        Assists the LGU and the DSWD in the conduct of information and dissemination campaign/social preparation to the working mothers
•        Provides for other logistic support that may be needed in the center
•        Conducts regular inventory of working mothers who can avail of the night care center

4.         Night Care Givers

•        Oversees the overall management of the center
•        Conducts regular sessions with the children
•        Observes and records the performance of each child in the center
•        Provides necessary support social welfare interventions to the target clients
•        Observes the children for any signs of abuse, disability or disease and refer accordingly to appropriate units/authorities concerned
•        Organizes Parents Committee as a support group to the center
•        Supervises children during snack time, and teaches/encourages or maintains good health habits and proper nutritional values among children
•        Facilitates deworming and immunization of children in coordination with the Health personnel
•        Supervises night care aides volunteers and other center staff
•        Coordinates with the local social worker/MSWDO and other agencies for other support services
•        Prepares monthly report of the center operation
•        Prepares and submit budget proposals to the FOs

5.         Night Care Aide

•        Responsible in the care of infant and toddlers
•        Assists in the conduct of regular session with the children
•        Assists in the conduct of monthly weighing of children
•        Assists in the preparation of program materials for children's use
•        Assists in monitoring growth and development of the children
•        Keep the center comfortable, safe, orderly and clean for the children
•        Assists the Night Care Giver in the organization of Parents Committee and in the identification of activities for the parents

This Department Order shall take effect immediately.

For strict compliance.

Adopted: 18 Mar. 1998

(SGD.) LINA B. LAIGO
Secretary