60 days left to apply for UAE’s Parent-friendly Label

The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority has announced that organisations across the UAE have 60 days left to apply for the fourth cycle of the Parent-friendly Label programme.

Applications remain open until July 31, 2026, for organisations from the semi-government, private and third sectors.

The voluntary workplace award recognises organisations that create supportive and inclusive work environments for parents and families.

Officials said the programme encourages workplaces to adopt family-friendly policies that improve employee wellbeing while supporting productivity and long-term growth.

The fourth cycle marks a major step for the programme, as government entities are being included for the first time through a collaboration with the Ministry of Family.

The expansion comes during the UAE’s Year of the Family 2026 and aims to strengthen family-focused workplace culture across the country.

The programme also allows organisations that received the label in previous years to reapply or upgrade to the “Parent-friendly Label+” category by improving their workplace policies and practices.

The Parent-friendly Label recognises organisations that support parents of young children through flexible working arrangements, parental leave policies and family wellbeing initiatives.

The programme assesses organisations through five main areas, including parental leave, flexible work arrangements, family care, family wellbeing, and workplace culture and innovation.

According to the authority, the framework was developed using international benchmarks and studies focused on family-friendly workplaces.

Since launching in 2021, the programme has positively impacted more than one million employees globally, including over 311,000 employees across 25 sectors in the UAE.

The authority also highlighted findings from its second impact report, which showed that 71 per cent of working parents reported improved daily productivity because of supportive workplace environments.

Officials said parent-friendly policies continue to play an important role in improving employee retention, wellbeing and work-life balance.

The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority encouraged organisations across the UAE to submit their applications before the July deadline and join the growing number of workplaces promoting family-friendly environments.

Applications can be submitted through the programme’s official website.