The government price committee recommended this evening (Wednesday) to increase the price of supervised daycare centers by 500 shekels per month.
According to a report by Gad Lior in Ynet, failure to raise the price could result in at least some of the daycare centers not opening.
Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Economy Minister Orna Barbibai said this evening: "The price committee's recommendation reflects the increase in the costs of operating daycare centers, but it has a budgetary burden and a disproportionate and disproportionate harm to the parent community. We will act with all the means at our disposal to prevent harm of this magnitude to families, alongside our commitment to work for the smooth opening of daycare centers in September.".
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At the end of last year, the Price Committee published for public comment draft recommendations regarding the rates of supervised daycare centers, which have seen a significant increase.
According to the recommendations, the monthly rate for a supervised daycare center will be NIS 2,432, compared to about NIS 2,000 today. In addition, the committee recommended eliminating the different rates for infants and children and establishing a uniform rate for all toddlers staying at the daycare center.
The daycare centers operate in homes and provide services for a maximum of five children. There are currently about 3,700 Semel daycare centers operating in Israel, and about 18,300 children, from three months to three years old, are staying in them. The toddlers staying in the daycare centers are entitled to a subsidy from the state, the amount of which is determined according to their family's level of eligibility, or to a subsidy according to welfare procedures.
The Association of Childcare Workers' Union responded to Ynet by saying: "The rate increase, which means an increase in the nannies' salaries, is an important step in improving the employment conditions of the 4,000 nannies.
""Raising prices in daycare centers is not permissible. This is a necessary step and the direction should be welcomed. The caregivers who operate the daycare centers have not 'earned' a rate update since 2009. The meaning is clear: in light of the price increases, the caregivers' wages will be eroded to the bone. The toddlers and parents are already paying the price of erosion: Since the caregivers finance the daycare expenses out of pocket, the workers will have difficulty financing the purchase of basic products for operating the daycare center, without an increase in the rate. If there is no change in the workers' wages, the union is considering not opening the school year.".
