Box – The National Care System in Uruguay

Uruguay’s National Care System, [fn] For details see: www.sistemadecuidados.gub.uy. [/fn] first put on the policy agenda by civil society organizations (mostly women and feminist organizations), turned out to be a priority on every political party platform in the last national election. The combination of a social demand for the transformation of the social organization of care, together with political will, produced a set of integrated policies in 2015 that aim to build a consistent care system. Its design includes three core dimensions: i) care provision for children under three years old, which includes: day care provision (in public institutions, as universities, workplaces, community spaces), easy access to credit to improve care infrastructure, extension of paternal leave and implementation of parental leave; ii) care services for elderly people and people with disabilities, which includes: personal assistance, day care and long-term residential institutions, tele-assistance; iii) professionalization of paid care work, through training activities as well as certification of labour competencies and validation of previous training.