Child Care Program

Alola Sets New Standards in the Workplace

In 2007 the Advocacy Program established a child care centre for Alola staff. This program sets a whole new standard for women's participation in the workforce. Alola is now ahead of most workplaces around the world!

Follow the link to see our Child Care poster

Alola has always provided three months paid maternity leave and then encouraged women to bring a carer along with their babies so they can continue to work and breastfeed their child. Now we also offer toddlers and preschool age children onsite child care.

The program has four main objectives:

1. To enable women and men to continue to work and remain economically independent.

2. To encourage women to continue to breastfeed exclusively until six months of age.

3. To provide creative play and crucial developmental experiences for preschool children of all Alola Staff.

4. To model creative play activities that can be replicated at home.

The centre is equipped with low cost, locally made toys and resources which parents can readily obtain in TL.

The centre's simple open design provides an affordable model for other workplaces. We hope to encourage government, local NGOs, and international organisations to provide a similar service. In the future, we also hope to create mentor and training opportunities for others to learn childcare skills.

"After only two weeks at the child care centre I could see a change in my daughter! She is playing more creatively, singing, drawing and looking at books more at home. She loves coming to 'eskola' everyday and seeing her new friends!"

The program is funded entirely through the fundraising efforts of all our Alola supporters and friends - so thank you for the opportunity to set new workplace standards in Timor-Leste. A special thanks Rosanne Simpkin for her help and advice in setting up the centre but especially to our great child care team:

Coordinator: Liticia (Zeferina) Alves; Child care Staff: Rosa dos Santos; Teresinha Guterres and Macu Saldanha. We are lucky to hear the sounds of children singing, laughing and chatting away all day now and it is a delight!

Manager: Alita Verdial - Advocacy Manager

alita.adv@alolafoundation.org

Contact: +670 3323855