Childcare Markets

The viability, quality and sustainability of publicly supported early childhood education and care services is a lively issue in many countries, especially since the rights of the child imply equal access to provision for all young children. But equitable provision within childcare markets is highly problematic, as parents pay for what they can afford and parental income inequalities persist or widen.

This highly topical book presents recent, significant research from eight nations where childcare markets are the norm. It also includes research about 'raw' and 'emerging' childcare markets operating with a minimum of government intervention, mostly in low income countries or post transition economies. Childcare markets compares these childcare marketisation and regulatory processes across the political and economic systems in which they are embedded. Contributions from economists, childcare policy specialists and educationalists address the question of what constraints need to be in place if childcare markets are to deliver an equitable service.

“"This volume provides an important contribution to the study of childcare policy, which makes it an important addition to any university-level course in childcare or policy analysis."”

"In this fascinating book, a group of distinguished scholars provide incisive analyses of market-based child care around the world. They convey child care for what it is - both a service to parents and a major determinant of children's development and future life course. An informative must-read for both scholars and policymakers." ---Edward Zigler, Ph.D. Sterling Professor of Psychology, Emeritus. Director Emeritus, The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy, Yale University. "Lloyd and Penn have drawn together a multi-disciplinary, international, team of experts to study and reflect on childcare markets' consequences for young children and their families. The book will be of great use to those studying the mixed economy childcare, and those interested in market-based approaches of other caring public services." ---Mike Brewer, Professor of Economics, University of Essex.

Eva Lloyd, Reader in Early Childhood at the University of East London, UK, and Co-director of the International Centre for the Study of the Mixed Economy of Childcare (ICMEC), has extensive childhood policy research experience.

Helen Penn is Professor of Early Childhood at the University of East London and Co-director of ICMEC. Her research focuses on the impact of childcare marketisation on children, families and services, taking a global overview.

The viability, quality and sustainability of publicly supported early childhood education and care services is a lively issue in many countries, especially since the rights of the child imply equal access to provision for all young children. But equitable provision within childcare markets is highly problematic, as parents pay for what they can afford and parental income inequalities persist or widen. This highly topical book presents recent, significant research from eight nations where childcare markets are the norm. It also includes research about 'raw' and 'emerging' childcare markets operating with a minimum of government intervention, mostly in low income countries or post transition economies. Childcare markets compares these childcare marketisation and regulatory processes across the political and economic systems in which they are embedded. Contributions from economists, childcare policy specialists and educationalists address the question of what constraints need to be in place if childcare markets are to deliver an equitable service.

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