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Costs, returns and effects of a universal, free, quality child care system in Mexico.

Costos, retornos y efectos de un Sistema de cuidado infantil universal, gratuito y de calidad en México
Entidad de las Naciones Unidas para la Igualdad de Género y el Empoderamiento de las Mujeres, Fondo conjunto para los ODS, Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres y Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe
Entidad de las Naciones Unidas para la Igualdad de Género y el Empoderamiento de las Mujeres, Fondo conjunto para los ODS, Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres y Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe
2020
Mexico
English

UN Women Mexico, in collaboration with INMUJERES and with support from ECLAC's Subregional Headquarters in Mexico, has developed a series of three studies on the costs and returns of investing in care for children under 6 years of age, for 6 to 12 years of age and for the elderly. Each study is accompanied by a Policy Paper that serves as a tool for decision making.Investment in care policies generates a triple dividend since, in addition to contributing to people's well-being, it enables the direct and indirect creation of quality employment and facilitates the participation of women in the labor force, which means a return of income for the State through taxes and contributions and a higher income for individuals. In the current context of the crisis caused by COVID-19, integrated care systems can become a real driving force for socioeconomic recovery so that no one is left behind.The study was elaborated by constructing various prospective scenarios with a progressivity approach with different levels of coverage, wages and quality of service in the child care system for children under 6 years of age. The configuration of a child care system would have a cost of 1.16% of GDP. However, considering that the current child care system in Mexico has an approximate fiscal cost of 0.45% of GDP in 2019 and that there would be an additional tax revenue of 0.29%, the result is a 5-year average financing gap of 0.58% of GDP. The results point out that the configuration of a child care system is an economically viable and fiscally smart measure.The target audience of this document is decision makers as a tool to build different investment and return scenarios with different parameters to progressively move towards a National Care System. The methodology used in these studies can be replicated in other countries.

  • Latin America and the Caribbean
  • National governments
  • Sub-national and local governments
  • The 5Rs of care
  • Children and adolescents
  • Civil society organizations
  • International organizations
  • Private sector
  • Trade unions and trade associations
  • Comprehensive care systems
  • Unpaid care work
  • Paid care work
Link
Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL - ECLAC) / Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC - ECLAC),Gobierno de México / Government of Mexico,ONU Mujeres / UN Women
Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL - ECLAC) / Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC - ECLAC),Gobierno de México / Government of Mexico,ONU Mujeres / UN Women
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