Increasing Number of Mothers Choose to Go Back to Work

The employment rate of women raising small children has risen from 66 percent to 80 percent since 2010, that is the second best rate in the European Union, said the Secretary of State for Family Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the local crèche in Taktaharkány, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County (northeastern Hungary).

Zsófia Koncz, who is also a Fidesz MP for the region, added that an institutional system had to be developed to achieve this result, so that “there is a place where children are in a good place.” She recalled that in 2010, there were 32,500 places in crèches in the country, a figure that has now more than doubled to 69,000. She pointed out that nationally there were three and a half times as many municipalities with crèches as before.

The politician highlighted that in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county there are now five and a half times as many municipalities with crèches as in 2010, when there were only 22. She added that

four thousand crèche places were created in the country last year and that expansion is under way this year, with thousands more places being added.

She stressed that these developments also mean more new jobs.

Zsófia Koncz emphasized that proper training of professionals was important to ensure the supply of new staff.

This is why the government has launched a scholarship program for secondary school and higher education students in early childhood education,

she noted. She also pointed out that last year the subsidy for the fee for nursery schools, which includes childcare, was re-launched.

Ákos Szemán, mayor of Taktaharkány, said at the inauguration ceremony that the nursery was built by extending the existing kindergarten building. The investment amounted to 113 million forints (283,200 euros) and will provide care for 14 children. Earlier, in 2019, another crèche was opened in the municipality, where 12 children are cared for.

Via MTI, Featured photo via Pixabay