ECONOMYNEXT – The World Bank Group will be partnering with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Women and Child Affairs to provide technical assistance on designing a strategic action plan for the national policy on child day care centers to support the national efforts on child care, the multilateral lender said.
The move will be supported by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Facility for Investment Climate Advisory Services (FIAS) program.
The World Bank Group will also be convening a multi-stakeholder childcare consortium, in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), it said.
“Childcare is one of the smartest investments we can make in Sri Lanka’s future. It delivers a triple dividend—creating opportunities for women to join and thrive in the workforce, supporting early childhood development, and driving job creation and economic growth,” Gevorg Sargsyan, World Bank Group Country Manager for Sri Lanka was quoted as saying.
“By championing childcare, we can leverage childcare as a key driver of progress—for families, businesses, and the nation.”
A 2013 assessment of day care centers in Colombo found 25% were rated poor quality, with just 6% rated good, and over 80% having staffing issues such as large group sizes and insufficient teacher-to-child ratios.
A 2023 study in the central Sri Lankan district of Kandy showed 77.5% of preschool centers scored “minimal”, with only 7.5% achieving “good” quality, and better outcomes tied to higher fees, smaller groups, and graduate-trained caregivers.
Sri Lanka has been struggling to provide high quality child care centers due to high cost, quality, lack of improved standards, teacher training, infrastructure, and policy enforcement. (Colombo/June 19/2025)
