Care Cooperatives
Care cooperatives are cooperative models that organize care services around solidarity, shared ownership, and democratic governance rather than profit-driven market principles. They can operate across a range of areas, including childcare, eldercare, home-based support services, and the collective organization of care workers. Care cooperatives seek to improve working conditions and economic security for caregivers while expanding access to affordable, high-quality care for those who need it. By treating care as a shared social responsibility rather than an individual burden, they offer alternative ways of organizing and sustaining care within communities.
CURRENT STATISTICS
67
Around 67 million people worldwide work as domestic workers, many of whom provide care services. Care cooperatives are emerging as alternative models that support fairer wages, social protection, and greater participation in decision-making.
10.8
The annual economic value of women’s unpaid care work is estimated at $10.8 trillion. Care cooperatives are often seen as one way to make this labor more visible, fairly compensated, and collectively organized.
12%
Cooperatives worldwide support the livelihoods of at least one billion people, and approximately 12% of the global population are members of a cooperative. Cooperative approaches are increasingly being applied to the organization and delivery of care services.
CURRENT CARE POLICIES
Care Policy Recommendations Tool
At İhtimam, we curate emerging care policy recommendations and translate them into practical guidance for different stakeholders. Select a stakeholder group and thematic area to explore relevant policy recommendations, strategies, and actions from Türkiye and around the world.
THE FUTURE OF CARE
Care Radar
The Care Radar tracks emerging developments, weak signals, and evolving conversations across the care landscape. It is designed to help us understand how care is changing and to explore these shifts through an ethical and systems-oriented lens.
The Growth of Multi-Stakeholder Care Cooperatives
Some care cooperatives are moving beyond worker-only models to include care recipients, family members, local governments, and community members in governance and decision-making. Care is increasingly being organized through shared responsibility and collective participation.
New Partnerships Between Municipalities and Care Cooperatives
Rather than delivering all care services directly, some local governments are developing long-term partnerships with care cooperatives. These collaborations are creating new models that bridge public services and community-based care.
The Cooperative Organization of Home Care
Home care services are increasingly being organized through worker-owned cooperatives instead of fragmented individual arrangements. This approach aims to improve working conditions for caregivers while strengthening continuity and quality of care.
Renewed Interest in Community-Based Childcare Cooperatives
Parent-led childcare cooperatives are gaining renewed attention in some communities. Families become active participants in organizing and governing care rather than simply purchasing services, fostering greater collective ownership and mutual support.
