Assessment of the care cooperative and social and solidarity economy (SSE) ecosystem in Sri Lanka

This report presents the first comprehensive assessment of the potential for SSE entities and care cooperatives to contribute to the care economy in Sri Lanka. It examines international experiences and best practices, reviews the national policy and institutional landscape, and maps existing care providers and stakeholders across childcare, eldercare, and care for persons with disabilities. The study also analyses the legal and regulatory environment governing care services, explores workforce and skills development challenges, and assesses the opportunities and constraints associated with establishing and scaling care-focused SSE initiatives and cooperative models.

Through extensive consultations with government institutions, cooperatives, worker organizations, charitable and faith-based entities, community organizations, and care workers, the report identifies pathways for expanding community-based care services that are both sustainable and people-centred. It highlights how SSE models can support the formalization of care work, improve labour conditions, strengthen access to social protection, enhance workforce skills, and create new employment opportunities, particularly for women. The report concludes with a set of practical recommendations to strengthen the enabling environment for care cooperatives and other SSE actors, providing a roadmap for building a more inclusive, resilient, and equitable care ecosystem that benefits care recipients, workers, families, and communities throughout Sri Lanka.