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22.12.2025
In India, many women working in the informal sector return to work soon after childbirth—sometimes within days—due to financial necessity. Without access to reliable childcare, their children are often left in unsafe or unsuitable environments. This challenge is especially acute for migrant women employed as domestic workers or on construction sites, where insecure working conditions deepen existing vulnerabilities.
To address this, the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), supported by the Julius Baer Foundation, is establishing childcare centres that provide access to quality care. These centres ensure that children receive proper attention from an early age—while enabling mothers to pursue and sustain their livelihoods. Run by and for local communities, they prioritise children’s safety, nutrition, and early learning—laying strong foundations for healthy development.
This initiative also offers a working model for quality childcare across India, with private companies, unions, and workers collaborating. IIHS is now actively engaging with three state governments to expand childcare infrastructure across diverse settlements.
Join us in conversation with Divya Ravindranath, Lead of the School of Human Development at IIHS, as she explains how this initiative supports working mothers and strengthens entire families. Discover how inclusive, community-led models can expand opportunity and create meaningful, lasting change.
Click play to learn how quality childcare is opening doors to greater security, dignity, and equality for women and children across India.
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