Thematic page on the cooperative, social and solidarity economy

SSE: Care economy

Today, care is provided in myriad forms, from childcare and eldercare to care for persons living with a disability or illness. The need for care is growing worldwide, driven by demographic shifts including the growing ageing population and the rising number of persons living with chronic illnesses. As people-centred, principle driven, member-owned businesses, cooperatives are emerging as an innovative type of care provider, particularly in the absence of viable public or other private options.

23 April 2024

Cooperatives provide multiple services (e.g. day care, childcare, foster care and mental/developmental health care, etc.) to distinct populations including elders, children and adolescent youth, and persons living with disabilities or illnesses (mental and/or physical). There are quite a few cases of cooperatives in the care sector which are multipurpose in nature, reflecting the beneficiaries’ various yet overlapping care needs. Moreover, cooperatives also tend to have a multi-stakeholder nature by involving different stakeholders such as care providers and other workers, beneficiaries and service users, families of service users, governments and community agents, etc.

Cooperatives encourage the active participation of beneficiaries in care plans allowing for a more holistic approach to their needs. For workers of care cooperatives, cooperatives can provide improved wages and benefits or facilitate formalization and professionalization of care workers, especially when these are members of a cooperative.

The ILO works with the constituents, the cooperative movement and other partners to advance the role of cooperatives in care sector, including through technical supports for care workers’ cooperatives, research, and quality data collection.

See also

The ILO holds meeting on care provision through cooperatives with global and country level updates
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The ILO holds meeting on care provision through cooperatives with global and country level updates

Cooperative Care Provision as a Gender-Transformative Decent Work Solution
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Cooperative Care Provision as a Gender-Transformative Decent Work Solution

UNTFSSE participates in the Side event 2020 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD): “Building Back Better: Action Toward a Disability-Inclusive, Accessible and Sustainable Post-COVID-19 World”
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UNTFSSE participates in the Side event 2020 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD): “Building Back Better: Action Toward a Disability-Inclusive, Accessible and Sustainable Post-COVID-19 World”

Sharing research findings on the potential of cooperatives in promoting universal health coverage
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Sharing research findings on the potential of cooperatives in promoting universal health coverage

The untapped potential of health cooperatives
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The untapped potential of health cooperatives

Transforming our world: A cooperative 2030 - Cooperative contributions to SDG 3
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Transforming our world: A cooperative 2030 - Cooperative contributions to SDG 3

ILO hosts partners meeting on cooperative responses to advancing public health
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ILO hosts partners meeting on cooperative responses to advancing public health

Discussing next steps toward advancing universal health coverage through cooperatives
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Discussing next steps toward advancing universal health coverage through cooperatives

Cooperatives meeting informal economy workers' child care needs - A Joint ILO and WIEGO Initiative
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Cooperatives meeting informal economy workers' child care needs - A Joint ILO and WIEGO Initiative

Domestic workers in Trinidad and Tobago moving toward enhancing sustainability of their cooperative
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Domestic workers in Trinidad and Tobago moving toward enhancing sustainability of their cooperative

Advancing domestic workers’ rights through cooperatives in Trinidad and Tobago: An ILO, NUDE and SWCC initiative
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Advancing domestic workers’ rights through cooperatives in Trinidad and Tobago: An ILO, NUDE and SWCC initiative

A step taken toward a common social cooperative framework in Turkey
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A step taken toward a common social cooperative framework in Turkey

Care work and care jobs for the future of decent work
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Care work and care jobs for the future of decent work

Providing Care through Cooperatives 2: Literature Review and Case Studies
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Providing Care through Cooperatives 2: Literature Review and Case Studies

Exploring the potential of cooperatives in advancing universal health coverage
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Exploring the potential of cooperatives in advancing universal health coverage

Domestic workers in Trinidad and Tobago develop a business plan for their cooperative
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Domestic workers in Trinidad and Tobago develop a business plan for their cooperative

Italian social cooperatives working together for the benefit of the communities
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Spotlight Interviews with Cooperators

Italian social cooperatives working together for the benefit of the communities

Formalizing informal employment of domestic workers through cooperatives in Trinidad & Tobago
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Formalizing informal employment of domestic workers through cooperatives in Trinidad & Tobago

A First Step Toward Strengthening Domestic Workers’ Cooperatives in Trinidad and Tobago
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A First Step Toward Strengthening Domestic Workers’ Cooperatives in Trinidad and Tobago

Providing Care through Cooperatives 1: Survey and Interview Findings
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Providing Care through Cooperatives 1: Survey and Interview Findings

Cooperatives moving into the care economy
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Cooperatives

Cooperatives moving into the care economy

The Provision of Care through Cooperatives: From Global Trends to the Case of Italy
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The Provision of Care through Cooperatives: From Global Trends to the Case of Italy

Cooperating out of Isolation: The Case of Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait
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Working Paper

Cooperating out of Isolation: The Case of Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait

Cooperating out of isolation: Domestic workers’ cooperatives
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Cooperatives and the World of Work Series No. 2

Cooperating out of isolation: Domestic workers’ cooperatives

Health Micro-Insurance Schemes: Feasibility Study Guide - 1 & 2
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Health Micro-Insurance Schemes: Feasibility Study Guide - 1 & 2

Health Micro-Insurance Schemes. Feasibility Study Guide. Volume 1: Procedure
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Health Micro-Insurance Schemes. Feasibility Study Guide. Volume 1: Procedure

Contribution of Mutual Health Organisations to Financing, Delivery and Access to Health Care
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Contribution of Mutual Health Organisations to Financing, Delivery and Access to Health Care

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