World Bank Supports Belize in Expanding Early Childhood Education and Women’s Access to Jobs

Washington, D.C, April 20, 2026 - The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved the new Belize Early Childhood Development and Female Empowerment Project, which will generate opportunities for women and future generations by boosting women's employment and expanding the access of quality, inclusive early childhood education.

Belize faces significant gaps in early childhood education. During the school year 2023-24, only 39 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds were enrolled in preschool, and access to formal childcare is limited, with just 24 registered daycare centers, all located in Belize's main cities. Evidence confirms that early learning is associated with improved school readiness, lower repetition and dropout rates, and higher academic achievement - laying foundations for a more skilled and productive workforce.

The lack of affordable, accessible childcare weighs heavily on women: the female labor force participation rate in Belize is 43.6 percent, below the Latin America and Caribbean average. The 2022 census showed that 65 percent of women in households with children aged 0-4 left employment to take up family responsibilities; more than double the rate in households without young children, and with even higher rates in rural and Mayan communities.

To expand access to quality early childhood education and care, the project will add 60 new classrooms to existing primary schools in communities which currently have no preschools but have high demand for preschool, and rehabilitate or upgrade 30 existing preschools to improve learning environments and teaching quality. Moreover, around 80 early development centers will be established or upgraded in partnership with communities, community organizations and private providers to offer developmental services for children up to age 4.

"Access to quality education and care is as much an economic issue as it is an education one. When caregivers can trust that their children are in safe, nurturing environments, they are free to participate fully in the economy and society," said Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank Director for the Caribbean. This project invests in both Belize's youngest citizens and the women who care for them."

The project will also establish and upgrade preschools and early development centers, improving service quality and climate resilience, while increasing enrollment and boosting women's employment by reducing childcare constraints, creating early childhood education and care-related jobs, and strengthening pathways to skills and work.

Besides the US$23.5 million credit from the International Development Association, the World Bank's concessional lending arm, the project will be financed by a US$1.28 million grant from the Early Learning Partnership.

Learn more about the work of the World Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/caribbean

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