For working mothers in Dhaka, juggling a career and raising young children is still one of the biggest challenges. As more women enter the workforce, the need for dependable childcare has steadily increased, and the city now provides a variety of options, including private daycare centres, government-run facilities, and workplace-based childcare programs to assist families.
Citywide Private Daycare Centres
Dhaka has several private childcare providers that have earned a good reputation among working parents. ABC Early Learning Daycare Centre has four branches in Gulshan, Niketon, Dhanmondi and Moghbazar. They provide structured, play-based early education to children from six months. Little Angels’ Corner of Monipuripara caters to children aged between one and a half and six years. Meals are included in full-day and half-day programmes. Kalabagan’s Little Honey Bunny Preschool and Childcare has equally flexible timing, with a preschool component worked into the day.
Smart Kids Daycare Art & Pre-School, Agargaon, ChildCheer, South Banasree, Kids’ Day Care, Asad Avenue and Little Star Pre-school and Daycare, Section 6, Mirpur are other popular options. Most of these centres take children from six months to six or seven years old and offer meals, indoor play and basic preschool education for a monthly fee ranging from around Tk 6,000 to Tk 10,000 depending on the programme.
Support for Government-Run Daycare
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs runs daycare centres in different parts of Dhaka under a scheme started in 1997 to help working mothers of middle and lower income groups, with facilities in such areas as Motijheel, Ashulia and Mohakhali. These centres usually have separate sections for different income groups and are meant to cater to children of household help, garment workers and other low-income families along with middle-income households, although there is usually more demand for seats than there are seats available.
Community & Nonprofit Efforts
Aastha Daycare Centres, run under Utsho Bangladesh, are aimed at supporting marginalised single working mothers, with seven centres across Dhaka that follow Early Childhood Development guidelines and provide up to ten hours of care per day, alongside meals and training in basic hygiene and social skills.
Childcare in the Workplace and in the Factory
Some employers, especially in the garment sector, have begun to offer on-site childcare as part of wider labour rights and welfare measures. SMILE project, which works in several textile factories in Dhaka and Gazipur, offers free play-based childcare so that mothers do not have to arrange or pay for external care while at work.
What to Look for in a Centre
When considering a daycare, it is useful to compare ratios, meals, safety and closeness to home or work. Visiting a centre in person – ideally at various times of the day – can also give you a clearer idea of how consistently it’s staffed and run.
FAQs
1. What age groups are usually taken in daycare centres in Dhaka?
Most centres take children from six months to six or seven years old, and some go up to age twelve.
2. What’s the price of private daycare centres in Dhaka?
The monthly fee for a full-day programme normally ranges from Tk 6,000 to Tk 10,000, and it usually includes meals. Half-day options are generally cheaper.
3. Childcare for working mothers. Are there free or low-cost options?
Yes, there are subsidised or low-cost centres run by the government under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and non-profit programmes such as Aastha Daycare Centres for middle- and lower-income mothers.
4. Is there any employer in Dhaka who provides childcare support?
Some organisations, especially in the garment industry, have introduced on-site or factory-based childcare programmes to support working mothers.
5. Are employers legally obliged to provide childcare?
According to Section 94 of the Bangladesh Labour Law 2006, establishments with more than 40 female workers are required to provide a suitable room for children under six years of age.
6. What should parents look for before signing their child up for daycare?
Staff qualifications, cleanliness, meal standards, safety procedures – all are worth checking. Visit the centre at different times of the day to see actual staffing and routines in play.
Summary
Working mothers in Dhaka increasingly rely on daycare centres to balance career and childcare. This guide covers leading private childcare facilities, government-run centres, and workplace initiatives supporting families across the city.
