Promoting Sustainable Investments in Quality and Affordable Childcare in Asia and the Pacific

Proposed

1.The technical assistance (TA) will support the development of childcare policies and services across Asia and the Pacific, with a focus on the Cook Islands, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Philippines, and Vanuatu. This will be the first regional TA of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that is focused on formal childcare provision, which will provide research, policy dialogue, and capacity building to support the introduction and scaling up of quality, affordable, and accessible childcare for 06-year-olds across Asia and the Pacific and to accelerate socioeconomic and educational benefits for caregivers and children.2.The TA will generate upstream knowledge and evidence to inform policy development across ADB's developing member countries (DMCs) and will directly support the implementation of childcare-related activities linked to ongoing projects in the selected countries. Specifically, the TA will generate new knowledge and data on financing models and costs of childcare, provide training to government stakeholders and caregivers, develop standards for caregiver qualifications, and establish childcare quality standards. Given that formal childcare remains an emerging policy area across Asia and the Pacific, TA resources are necessary to introduce internationally recognized good practices and standards. The TA includes two small island developing statesthe Cook Islands and Vanuatuwhere childcare policy awareness is most nascent, and where a tailored approach cognizant of the intersecting challenges of demographic, geography, and cultural norms will be pursued.3.This TA contributes to operational priorities 2, 4, and 6 of ADB's Strategy 2030, and to the Resilience and Empowerment strategic focus area of Strategy 2030's Midterm Review. Expanding childcare provision is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 5. The TA is aligned with the development priorities of the DMCs and is anchored on their respective country partnership strategies and the Pacific Approach.