Legal Basis Supporting Night Care Services
- 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates equality and recognizes women's roles in nation-building.
- Executive Order 123 entrusts DSWD with promoting women's welfare and preventing exploitation.
- Republic Act 7192 ensures equality of women and men.
- Republic Act 5490 supports the creation of free zones where women’s workforce participation is harnessed.
- Labor Code requires employers to establish nurseries for women workers.
Goals and Objectives of the Night Care Project
- General: Provide supervised care to children of mothers working night shifts to protect children from neglect and abuse.
- Specific:
- Enable women to accept night shift jobs without compromising motherhood.
- Ensure safety of children aged 3 months to 6 years during parents’ working hours.
- Promote children's physical, mental, spiritual, emotional development.
- Provide temporary shelter for mothers after night shifts until safe to return home.
Project Description
- Preventive measure to reduce violence against women and children.
- Establish night care centers near workplaces, initially piloted in regions with high night-shift female workers.
- Centers serve as safe child care and shelter facilities.
- Aim for expansion to Export Processing Zones where women workers lack alternative caregivers.
Project Components
- Social Preparation:
- Setting up facilities.
- Identifying beneficiaries through DSWD surveys and consultations.
- Coordination with employers for partnership.
- Training of Night Care Givers:
- Equip care givers and social workers with skills, knowledge, attitudes for child care.
- Case Management:
- Child Care Services:
- Play sessions (indoor/outdoor) for cognitive and social development.
- Feeding with nutritional support (Php 25/day per child if mothers cannot provide).
- Hygiene (wash-up and bath routines).
- Bedtime stories to develop language, values, and provide entertainment.
- Support Services:
- Referral and access to social welfare and medical services.
- Child Care Services:
- Monitoring, Evaluation and Documentation:
- Regular project monitoring.
- Evaluation after pilot phase to assess effectiveness.
General Policies: Eligibility and Center Requirements
- Eligibility:
- Children 3 months to 6 years old of working mothers on night shift.
- Children with no responsible adult at home.
- Children must pass medical examination before admission.
- Night Care Givers:
- Educational qualifications in social work, nursing, psychology or behavioral sciences.
- Experience with children and women.
- Good physical, mental, and emotional health.
- Center Requirements:
- Minimum floor area and facilities: potable water, ventilation, fire safety, hygiene areas.
- Homely atmosphere with child-friendly decorations.
- Safe furniture and child-specific eating areas.
- Program materials to support developmental activities and nutrition.
- Care for minimum 3-4 hours per session.
- Support Assistance:
- Coordination for immunization and medical checks.
- Food assistance for children where mothers are financially constrained.
- Temporary Shelter for Mothers:
- Mother-workers living far from home may stay overnight until safe to travel home.
- Center Capacity:
- At least 30 children, supervised by one Social Welfare Officer II and a Night Care Giver.
- Parent Involvement:
- Parents organized into a support committee.
- Coordination with LGUs, NGOs, industries to facilitate implementation.
- After pilot, centers turned over to LGUs for continued operation.
Implementing Details
- Social Preparation:
- Situational analysis via surveys in Export Processing Zones.
- Information campaigns for awareness.
- Identification and validation of beneficiaries.
- Facility identification and preparation.
- Training:
- Capacity-building of night care givers and social workers.
- Case Management:
- Child care services during night shifts.
- Referral system for additional support.
- Temporary Shelter:
- Facility accommodates mothers during non-working hours.
- Monitoring and Evaluation:
- Monthly reports by Night Care Giver.
- Regular visits and assessments by DSWD field and program officials.
Output and Impact Indicators
- Outputs:
- Number of children served.
- Number of mothers using the center as shelter.
- Number of referrals to social services.
- Impacts:
- Increased productivity of working mothers.
- Decreased child neglect and abuse cases.
- Reduced accidents involving working mothers and their children at night.
Institutional Arrangement and Responsibilities
- DSWD:
- Programs and Special Projects Bureau: guideline development, training, technical assistance, funding, monitoring.
- Field Offices: client identification, supervision, coordination with LGUs and NGOs, monitoring.
- Local Government Units:
- Identifying clients, providing facilities and support.
- Industries/Employers:
- Providing night care facilities near workplaces.
- Assisting in beneficiary validation and logistics.
- Night Care Givers:
- Overall management and care of children.
- Reporting, referrals, supervising staff, organizing parents.
- Night Care Aides:
- Assist in child care activities, maintain cleanliness, support administrative tasks.
Effectivity
- The order takes effect immediately upon issuance and mandates strict compliance.