Sheikh Mohamed says family support will be country’s central focus

President calls families the cornerstone of society at event to honour parent-friendly institutions

President Sheikh Mohamed speaks to representatives of organisations that have received the Parent-friendly Label at Al Shati Palace. Photo: Presidential Court

President Sheikh Mohamed attended an event to honour parent-friendly organisations on Wednesday.

He said prioritising family support would be a primary focus of the government, noting that families are the foremost source of education and the cornerstone of a robust and stable society.

His comments came during an event to honour institutions awarded the prestigious Parent-friendly Label (PFL) by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), state news agency Wam reported.

The PFL encourages companies to adopt policies that support working parents, enabling them to provide the best possible care for their children.

At the recognition ceremony, which took place at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed thanked all the institutions participating in the programme.

He added that helping parents to balance their work and private lives strengthens family bonds and promotes effective parenting – which is positive for all in society.

Sheikh Mohamed said the PFL has not only had a positive effect on families, but also on workplace efficiency, as a positive working environment boosts productivity.

Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed, chairman of the Office of Development and Martyrs Families Affairs, also attended the event and said an increasing number of organisations were placing greater importance on offering flexibility to families.

He noted that parent-friendly workplaces can achieve positive business outcomes such as retaining employees, enhancing employer attractiveness and contributing to increased profitability.

Of the 12 organisations that earned the Parent-friendly Label, two were awarded PFL+ classification for meeting or exceeding global standards in parent-friendly policies and practices.

The two were Emirates Nature in association with WWF, and Tappy Toes Nursery.

The remaining 10 organisations, who earned the PFL for exceeding local leading parent-friendly policies and practices, were Bain Co, Mubadala Investment Company, Novartis, Nestle, LinkedIn, Houbara Defence Security, Visa Middle East, Chalhoub Group, Nabta Health and Wintershall DEA Middle East.

Before Wednesday's ceremony, 75 applications were received from across the country, with each evaluated by an independent judging panel consisting of senior leaders from various emirates.

Overall, it is estimated the project has positively affected the lives of more than 48,000 children and reached more than 127,000 employees of participating institutions.

These figures include about 66,000 parents and 1,500 children of determination.

Applications for the next awards cycle will open on February 27 and close at the end of September.

Organisations in the private sector, semi-government sector or third sector in the UAE are encouraged to review the eligibility criteria online and apply at www.eca.gov.ae.