Impact and community
Serena cares for people and creates opportunities for those who give care. We put that into practice through training, by professionalizing care work, and by opening economic opportunities for women and men, with a special focus on women and mothers who want to build a career.
Costa Rica in context
Public figures on who gives care in Costa Rica and what that work is worth. They're context, not Serena's results.
In Costa Rica, women spend an average of 32 hours a week on unpaid domestic work; men, just under 16.
Source: INEC (Costa Rica's statistics institute), National Time Use Survey (INEC presentation at ECLAC) (opens another site), 2022
Nearly 7 in 10 people caring for a dependent person are women, and most care for someone in their own household.
Source: 2018 care survey, cited in the National Care Policy 2021–2031 (opens another site), 2018
Nearly 7 in 10
Fewer than half of women in Costa Rica are in the labor force (44% vs. 68% of men).
Source: World Bank, based on INEC and ILO data (opens another site), 2025
Labor force participation, ages 15 and up
Unpaid domestic and care work is worth the equivalent of a quarter of Costa Rica's GDP.
Source: Central Bank of Costa Rica, cited in the National Care Policy 2021–2031 (opens another site), 2017
Economic value, compared with Costa Rica's 2017 gross domestic product (GDP)
By 2050, one in four people in Costa Rica will be 65 or older.
Source: INEC population projections (reported by CRHoy) (opens another site), 2024 (projection to 2050)
1 in 4
By 2050
About 280,000 people in Costa Rica need support with basic daily activities.
Source: ENADIS 2018 disability survey, cited in the National Care Policy 2021–2031 (opens another site), 2018
280,000
people, approximately
Costa Rica's National Care Policy itself says the country needs certified care training.
Source: National Care Policy 2021–2031, pp. 129 and 158 (opens another site), 2021
Among its actions, the policy calls for developing a program to certify the training of caregivers and for gradually expanding training led by INA (Costa Rica's National Training Institute), in coordination with other public institutions and certified private companies.
Source: National Care Policy 2021–2031, p. 158 (opens another site)
| Topic | Figure | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work at home | Women: 32 h 04 min a week · Men: 15 h 44 min a week | INEC (Costa Rica's statistics institute), National Time Use Survey (INEC presentation at ECLAC) (opens another site) | 2022 |
| Who looks after dependent people | Nearly 7 in 10 people caring for a dependent person are women | 2018 care survey, cited in the National Care Policy 2021–2031 (opens another site) | 2018 |
| Who's in the labor force | Women: 44% · Men: 68% | World Bank, based on INEC and ILO data (opens another site) | 2025 |
| What that work is worth | Worth the equivalent of a quarter of GDP (25.3%) | Central Bank of Costa Rica, cited in the National Care Policy 2021–2031 (opens another site) | 2017 |
| A country growing older | 1 in 4 people will be 65 or older by 2050 | INEC population projections (reported by CRHoy) (opens another site) | 2024 (projection to 2050) |
| Who needs support day to day | About 280,000 people | ENADIS 2018 disability survey, cited in the National Care Policy 2021–2031 (opens another site) | 2018 |
| What national policy says | The country needs certified care training (pp. 129 and 158); the policy calls for a program to certify caregiver training and for more training led by INA (p. 158) | National Care Policy 2021–2031, pp. 129 and 158 (opens another site) | 2021 |
How we do it
Three areas that follow the same path, from learning to building a career. Open to women and men who give care.
On the path: LearnGet certified
With Sertify, Serena's online training platform, people who give care can take online courses. Sertify includes assessments and certificates, which are private.
Programs such as Super Niñera (child care) and Super Housekeeper (home cleaning).
Sertify certificates are private: they show that a person completed a training program and its assessment. They don't replace INA credentials or professional licenses.
On the path: Build a profile
In the Serena app, each professional builds a profile with their experience and an intro video, lists the services they offer and when they're available, and after each service, families can leave them a review.
On the path: Access opportunitiesGrow a career
A complete profile helps more families find a professional. Bookings, chat and payouts all happen in the app, and every service adds experience and reviews to keep growing.
In Costa Rica, care work falls mostly on women. Serena is open to women and men who give care, and pays special attention to making sure women and mothers can train online, set their own availability in the app and build a career in care.
Results
We don't have our own measurements to publish yet. In the meantime, here's what we're aiming for, what we do today and what we'll measure. We'll publish numbers once we can back them up.
No figures of our own yet
Partnerships
We're looking for public and private organizations that want to professionalize care and open opportunities for people who give care. Let's talk about what your organization needs.
Training
Bring care training to more people through Sertify.
Opportunity
Connect people who complete training with work opportunities in care.
Measurement
Agree on what to measure and how to publish it, with sources and dates.
Use the form on this page.
About goals, scope and how to measure results.
With clear goals and numbers we can back up.
Questions
No. They're public figures about care in Costa Rica, each with its source and year. Serena doesn't publish its own measurements yet; it will once it can back them up.
No. Sertify certificates are private: they show that a person completed a training program and its assessment. They don't replace INA credentials or professional licenses.
No. Serena is open to women and men who give care. It pays special attention to women and mothers because, in Costa Rica, women spend the most time on unpaid domestic work and make up most of the people caring for a dependent person.
There are no published partnerships yet. When an organization works with us and gives its permission, it will appear here. If your organization is interested in a partnership, let's talk about what it needs.
Training and social impact partnerships: bringing care training to more people, connecting people who complete training with work, and measuring results with sources and dates.
Join in
Training, work and partnerships: every path starts with a conversation.
Train with Sertify and build your profile in the Serena app.