Question & AnswerQ&A (DSWD ORDER NO. 11, S. 1998)
The primary purpose is to provide supervised care for young children of working mothers on night shifts to protect them from abuse and neglect, and to support working mothers by allowing them to work night shifts without sacrificing their role as mothers.
The 1987 Philippine Constitution, which recognizes the role of women in nation-building and ensures fundamental equality before the law of men and women.
Children must be children of working mothers, aged 3 months to 6 years old, have no responsible adults to take care of them while mothers work, and must have undergone a physical/medical examination to be free of communicable diseases.
They must be graduates of BS Social Work, BS Nursing, Child Psychology, or any Behavioral Science course, have experience working with children and women, and be physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy.
The center must have at least 15 x 18 meters floor area, potable water supply, proper ventilation, fire-fighting equipment, first aid cabinet, toilet and washing area, nursery for infants and toddlers, child-friendly decorations, secure lockers for belongings, appropriate furniture, and facilities for eating.
Services include play sessions (indoor and outdoor), feeding (with P25.00 food assistance if necessary), wash-up/bath, bedtime stories, and monthly weighing to monitor health and nutritional status.
They may use the Night Care Center as a temporary shelter after their work, especially if their shifts end late at night, until it is safe for them and their children to return home.
LGUs identify and recruit working mothers, provide other support services and logistics, identify and provide night care center facilities if industries cannot, and coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and industries.
The Night Care Giver documents monthly status reports, quarterly evaluations are conducted to identify gaps and strengths, the DSWD Field Office conducts monitoring, and the Programs and Special Projects Bureau visits pilot centers for validation and technical assistance.
Parents are organized into a Parents Committee as a support group for the Center to foster collaboration and participation in the child's care and the center's activities.
Impact indicators include increased productivity of working mothers on night shifts, decreased cases of child neglect, and decreased accidents or abuse cases involving working mothers and their children at night.