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LightCastle Partners, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), convened a National Stakeholder Consultation Workshop to advance the development of the Guidelines for National Minimum Standards for Childcare in Bangladesh.
Held on November 17, 2025, the workshop brought together government officials, development partners, civil society members, private sector representatives, and childcare practitioners to consolidate recommendations for improving childcare quality, safety, workforce development, and service delivery nationwide.
The workshop commenced with welcoming remarks from Max Tuñón, Country Director of the ILO Country Office in Bangladesh, who highlighted the importance of establishing a unified national framework to ensure quality, safety, and accessibility in childcare services.
This was followed by an address from Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed, Executive Director of BILS and Chair of the Bangladesh Labour Reform Commission, who emphasized the role of childcare in strengthening labor rights, supporting working parents, and advancing women’s economic participation. Anne Drong, National Project Coordinator for Care Work at the ILO, then shared reflections on the broader significance of developing guidelines for the national childcare standards within Bangladesh’s labor and social protection landscape.
Ainan Tajrian, Senior Business Consultant at LightCastle Partners, presented the findings from the qualitative research conducted to understand the current landscape of the childcare sector. She discussed the research insights on key components of the guidelines for the childcare sector: Early childhood education and development, Food and nutrition, Safety and protection, Physical environment of centres, Staffing arrangements, and Operational procedures. Following this, the presentation set the foundation for the breakout discussions.
Session participants emphasized the importance of raising childcare workforce standards through BNQF-aligned skill certification, clear age and qualification criteria, consistent inspection processes, and appropriate child–to–staff ratios. They also recommended Ministry of Women and Children Affairs to be the regulatory authority and proposed exploring government and CSR funding to strengthen the sector through collaborative contributions to the betterment of the community.
Discussions focused on ensuring nutritious meals, safe water, sleep routines, and better support for children and childcare workers’ emotional well-being. Participants called for stronger safeguarding training, clear guidelines on hazardous materials, structured activity spaces, and backup power systems to ensure uninterrupted electricity.
Key priorities discussed included aligning operating hours with parents’ work schedules, assessing shift-based work arrangements, establishing fair pathways from contractual to permanent roles, standardizing decent wage and fee structures and decent working conditions, and ensuring subsidies to make childcare affordable and accessible.
Participants endorsed the importance of alignment with the Early Learning Development Standards, mandatory diet plans, structured daily routines, safe food handling practices, reduced plastic use, and inclusive practices supported by early childhood development training for all childcare staff.
The workshop concluded with closing remarks from Gunjan Dallakoti, Head of Programme at the ILO, who underscored the importance of sustained collaboration among government agencies, labor institutions, private sector actors, and development partners to finalize and operationalize the guidelines for the childcare sector. Gunjan reaffirmed the ILO’s continued support in advancing a childcare system that promotes child development, enables women’s workforce participation, and strengthens social protection in Bangladesh.
The workshop’s insights and consensus-building mark a major milestone toward improving the Guidelines for the National Minimum Standards for Childcare in Bangladesh. The recommendations will contribute to shaping a robust, inclusive, and sustainable childcare ecosystem, supporting women’s workforce participation, strengthening child development outcomes, and enhancing the quality and safety of childcare services nationwide.
LightCastle Partners remains committed to supporting evidence-driven policymaking and fostering stronger childcare systems in Bangladesh.
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