His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, has emphasised that the government's programs and strategies are focused on prioritising support for families and enabling them to fulfil their crucial role.
Families, according to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed, are the primary source of education and the foundation of a strong and stable society. These remarks were made during an event honouring institutions that received the prestigious Parent-Friendly Label (PFL) from the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA).
The PFL program targets institutions in the UAE’s semi-government, private, and third sectors, encouraging them to adopt policies and frameworks supporting working parents for the well-being of their children. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed commended participating institutions for their commitment to fostering a parent-supportive work culture. He emphasised that enabling parents to balance work and family life strengthens family bonds and promotes effective parenting, positively impacting children, families, and society.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed highlighted the importance of all state institutions creating a work environment supportive of parents, underscoring its significant social, cultural, and educational impact and positive effect on workplace efficiency.
The recognition ceremony was held at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi, and out of the 12 organisations receiving the Parent-Friendly Label, two were awarded the PFL+ classification for surpassing global standards in parent-friendly policies, Emirates Nature in association with WWF and Tappy Toes Nursery.
The remaining 10-organisations, exceeding local parent-friendly policies and practices, were Bain and Co, Mubadala Investment Company, Novartis, Nestle, LinkedIn, Houbara Defence and Security, Visa Middle East, Chalhoub Group, Nabta Health, and Wintershall DEA Middle East.
In the latest cycle, 75 applications were received from across the country, impacting over 48,000 children and reaching more than 127,000 employees. The next cycle (Cycle 3) will open on 27 February, 2024, and close at the end of September 2024. Organisations in the UAE private sector, semi-government sector, or third sector are encouraged to review eligibility criteria and apply here.