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The balancing act

It's a tough call for working mothers who are torn between two conflicting demands — home and work. And this is where crèches play a vital role, says SUDHA UMASHANKER

MOMMA CARES Be it home or work, she is committed

Akanksha Gupta, 26, an executive with a Delhi-based MNC and a mother of a five-and-a-half-month-old baby, manages to balance her role as a parent as well as a professional. With no elders around to help at home, she relies on the crèche in the company, which, she feels, is a blessing.

Hiru Joshua, in her early thirties, held a job not so long ago as a Business Development Executive and later partnered an entrepreneurial venture. She loved her job and had been working for as long as she could remember. Mother of a boisterous two-year-old son and on the family way now, she quit her job, as she couldn't find a good crèche. As for family support, though her in-laws live in the same city, they are unable to pitch in on a regular basis since they have their own establishment.

Seema Billimoria, 37, Bank Executive, mother of two (a four-and-half-year-old daughter and a five-month-old son) is married to an executive whose job entails a fair amount of travel. She is grateful to the crèche-cum-playschool that her children go to and regards the person who runs it as a saviour. She would love it if her company could start a crèche in its own premises.

Sounds familiar? It's a tough call for working mothers with infants and young children torn between two conflicting demands — being eager to make a mark on the work front and at the same time not losing sight of their responsibility as a parent.

Crying need

Once it's time to go back to work after maternity leave, those who have family support bank on parents or in-laws to pitch in. For the rest, the hunt for childcare centres begins. The bottom line is that crèches are a crying need today.

Says Anjali Rege, who has evolved a blue print for setting up crèches attached to offices and workplaces: "Non-traditional forms of employment have also generated a need for safe places for children to stay while women work. And it is still looked upon as a woman's job to take the initiative to find caregivers for kids before they can consider taking up a job."

For many working mothers, quitting the job temporarily is not an option.

Admits Akanksha, "The thought of leaving my job crosses my mind almost every morning when I have to leave my little one at the crèche or home. Definitely the idea of working from home is extremely appealing, but considering my job profile, it is not a viable option."

The rising costs of living are factors to contend with as well. As Seema says, "I do want to work for a few more years as double income will ensure a better standard of living for my family and help pay off the housing loans."

For women just settling in their careers and poised for further growth, taking a long break can have an adverse impact on their career graph. So the options before these mothers are either to leave the kids at home in the care of maids or send them to childcare centres. The advantages the latter offers are many.

Notes Anjali, "In a childcare facility, kids are kept occupied and will have friends of their own age to play with. What's more, they learn to live harmoniously and to care and share. The safety aspect is also taken care of here."

Seema says she is not for entrusting the children with a maid at home. "I'm more comfortable leaving them in a crèche. If anything were to go wrong, I would at least know what happened." And if the domestic help does not show up or quits or goes on long leave, there is another crisis on hand.

While a good stand-alone crèche is a boon, finding one is easier said than done.

Says Hiru, "I checked out quite a few crèches but found cleanliness on the part of the staff to be the first casualty. Also the concept of taking care of children for a whole day does not exist."

Discloses Seema, "I am surviving largely because of the woman who runs the crèche my children go to. She lends a motherly touch and is accommodating. Even if parents are held up at office, she takes the children home and watches over them till they get back."

Hygiene matters

Says Akanksha, "Cleanliness and hygiene are important so far as crèches are concerned. It is equally important for a crèche to have a trained nurse and basic amenities such as a refrigerator and a microwave to keep the food nutritious. Play equipment are a must to keep the children occupied."

Says Safeera Altaf who runs a crèche, "Most parents tell me that I am like a second mother. They have so much trust in us. Even if the child is unwell, I am just a phone call away, so they can call up and check whether he slept well or has taken his medicines."

As of now, stand-alone crèches are the order of the day — there are very few offices providing childcare.

Says Lawyer Sudha Ramalingam, "Creches (attached to workplaces) will help both the children, who will get the psychological support of being near their mother, and the women who can concentrate on work without any worry. Besides, it ensures the women do not suffer setbacks due to break in service."

As Akanksha says, "Our office site has a fully equipped crèche facility, which enables me to bring my baby along and frequently check on the baby."

Adds Anjali, "If a corporate wants to better its retention level, this aspect needs to be considered."

But for corporates to consider setting up of crèches, there should be sufficient demand and availability of space. Said a senior executive in a manufacturing firm, "Right now, we have just one woman employee with an infant. It doesn't make economic sense to start a crèche."

Perhaps outsourcing this facility or tying up with some service provider could prove beneficial.

Sudha Ramalingam observes, "Since a majority of women are employed in the unorganised sector, it is not feasible to make all the employers provide childcare centres. It is therefore important that the State along with NGOs and other funded agencies promotes and provides childcare centres in every locality. This way, even poorly paid women can take up jobs without worrying about the children and the children will also not be neglected."

There is a huge business and service opportunity in this for those looking for a vocation, while it eases a great deal of pressure on working mothers.

But cautions Safeera Altaf, "It is challenging but rewarding too. And most important, those venturing into this must love children."

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