Acknowledging how childcare responsibilities are contributing to women’s unequal participation in labour force, this study examines the public provision of childcare across 48 countries in Asia and the Pacific through the lens of accessibility, affordability, quality, and decent work for childcare workers. It provides policymakers, development partners, researchers and civil society organizations with an in-depth analysis of the policy and institutional frameworks for childcare for children aged 0-6 years old. It also includes country case studies that reflect the voices of parents, childcare providers and childcare workers. These voices offer invaluable insights into the need for childcare services and broader cultural perception of care work in the Asia-Pacific region that may be linked to the unequal distribution of childcare responsibilities. Based on its findings, the study offers recommendations for increased investments in the childcare sector to enable better socio-economic outcomes for women and children, job generation, and decent work for childcare workers, as well as to support a transformative recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that advances gender equality and sustainable development.