Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘The female employment in relation to growth’ (exploratory opinion)

Paragraph 8.3
‘As Member States with the highest birth rates are also those which have done the most to facilitate the work-life balance for parents and which have high rates of female employment (29), Member States should provide more effective, affordable, accessible and qualitative support for families with children through policies (30), such as:
- Investing in children – through early childhood intervention programmes, particularly the ones that deliver family-focused, home and centre-based services to families.
- Reconciling family and work responsibilities – through co-ordination across a range of areas such as childcare provision, parental leave and family-friendly workplaces.
- Creating a framework favourable for raising fertility rates – in addition to reconciliation policies, through tax efficiencies (e.g. Childcare Voucher Scheme in the UK) and policies aiming at sharing the costs of childrearing more broadly, and allowing young couples to obtain access to affordable housing and a secure footing in labour markets.‘