Hundreds of daycare managers and operators from across Israel met on Thursday at Halamish’s annual conference on early childhood care, alongside Knesset members, senior officials from the Labor Ministry and Education Ministry, and other professionals. The event, held with the National Labor Federation, was presented as evidence that Israel’s daycare sector is moving into a new era.
Speakers highlighted Halamish’s role as a unifying body for providers from all communities and sectors, and reviewed years of advocacy on behalf of daycare operators and caregivers. They pointed to progress on caregiver rights, subsidy issues, heavy regulation, government negotiations, and public and legal campaigns for the industry’s future. Former Labor Minister MK Rabbi Yoav Ben Tzur said, “Halamish is a rare example of real partnership around a shared professional goal.” MK Rabbi Yosef Taieb, who chaired the Knesset Education Committee for most of the last term, said the committee held dozens of hearings on early childhood and he would continue working for “the vision of one authority for the early childhood sector.”
MK Rabbi Yinon Azoulay, chairman of the Shas faction and one of the promoters of the bill for a unified early childhood authority, said the work is demanding and should be better rewarded. Labor Ministry Director General Ruby Shemesh said the ministry is investing millions of shekels in new subsidy systems that should make the process faster and easier for parents and reduce bureaucracy. Labor Ministry Accountant Hami Donitza said that after “the firm stance” of Halamish chairman Adv. Shalom Nagar, an agreement was reached before Passover on a fair wage framework for early childhood educators and organizations.
Education Ministry Deputy Director General Fares Twail said the ministry is working to improve licensing and supervision processes so operators can focus on education instead of administrative obstacles. National Labor Federation chairman Yoav Shimchi called the new collective agreement “the insurance policy” of the early childhood sector, saying caregivers are no longer invisible and now have professional backing, proper pay and real job prospects. Nagar said Halamish’s strength comes from the trust of “hundreds of operators” and said the organization would keep pushing for better wages, less bureaucracy, a single authority for early childhood, and a better future for children in Israel.
