Calls on the Member States to put in place and improve, in collaboration with social partners, information channels on the rights of domestic workers and carers and to ensure the highest information accessibility for all workers; recommends, to that end, to establish information points, following best practice in Member States, at regional and local level, helplines and websites providing assistance, information also in the form of campaigns on the rights of domestic workers and carers in each Member State in the national language and other appropriate languages; emphasises that civil society organisations such as organisations working on behalf of women and migrants should also be able to provide this information; points out that these ...[+++]tools must also be developed in a way that allows best practice, relevant advice and guidance to be given to possible employers, including families and agencies and that model employment contracts should be offered in order to ensure that employers carry out their responsibilities.

However, I wonder whether one part of the problem is the way in which the state has expanded and squeezed out the private sphere, has annexed to itself jobs and duties that were traditionally discharged within a family – childcare, education and social security.

16. Points out that, for sustained growth, Europe needs a healthy, dynamic and skilled labour force; and that this is unfortunately undermined, inter alia, by negative population growth in most Member States; considers that an effective childcare infrastructure, as agreed at the European Council of 15 and 16 March 2002, is an important catalyst for reconciling work and family life; considers that the development of child care, based on families, makes it easier for women as well as men to take part in working life and raise familie ...[+++]s; points out that increasing women's employment not only leads to the growth of the economy as a whole but also contributes to alleviating the demographic challenges that are facing Europe today; considers that solidarity between generations must be stimulated to gain more potential from existing labour force;

28. Observes that it is predominantly women who take care of children as well as elderly, ill or disabled members of the family, voluntarily or involuntarily under the pressure of cultural attitudes and social norms or of the poor quality or lack of childcare facilities and other care facilities (long-term care structures) and that they therefore have more interruptions in their working careers; stresses the need to compensate women and carers and to provide them with real choices as regards having children as in relation to caring r ...[+++]esponsibilities, without fearing possible financial disadvantages or suffering detriment to their career progression; welcomes action by Member States to prevent and compensate this situation, for example by crediting child and family care time in statutory pension insurance;

28. Observes that it is predominantly women who take care of children as well as elderly, ill or disabled members of the family, voluntarily or involuntarily under the pressure of cultural attitudes and social norms or of the poor quality or lack of childcare facilities and other care facilities (long-term care structures) and that they therefore have more interruptions in their working careers; stresses the need to compensate women and carers and to provide them with real choices as regards having children as in relation to caring r ...[+++]esponsibilities, without fearing possible financial disadvantages or suffering detriment to their career progression; welcomes action by Member States to prevent and compensate this situation, for example by crediting child and family care time in statutory pension insurance;

28. Observes that it is predominantly women who take care of children as well as elderly, ill or disabled members of the family, voluntarily or involuntarily under the pressure of cultural attitudes and social norms or of the poor quality or lack of childcare facilities and other care facilities (long-term care structures) and therefore have more interruptions in their working careers; stresses the need to compensate women and careers and to provide them with real choices as regards having children as in relation to caring responsibi ...[+++]lities, without fearing possible financial disadvantages or suffering detriment to their career progression; welcomes action by Member States to prevent and compensate this situation, for example by crediting child and family care time in statutory pension insurance;