privatization

Governments around the world stand at a crossroads. Faced with an enormous financial burden and new social challenges on the horizon, governments are looking for new institutional solutions that will enable them to do more with less. In many countries, the voluntary sector has become a key pillar in new administrative reforms. Indeed, most governments recognize that the voluntary sector is a critical part of their ability to develop and maintain economic strength and social wellbeing within communities. Yet the kind of supports the sector ultimately receives varies across settings.

This year's conference proposes an opportunity to reflect on the present and possible future roles of the voluntary sector in the face of shifting governmental roles. It is important to pay attention to these dynamics because they have the potential to redefine the relationship between administration and citizens. Comprising international speakers with valuable insight from an academic, practitioner and policy perspective, the conference will allow participants to hear and comment upon the patterns of policy change and continuity in any country.

The broad objectives of the conference are to:

• learn from international experience to date;
• take stock of current trends, policy continuity and change;
• inform the Canadian agenda on social policy reform.

Dr. Mildred Warner's research explores the impact of privatization and devolution on local government and
the role of human services (especially child care) as part of the social infrastructure for economic development.

Dr. Warner is a Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University. She has a Ph.D. in Development Sociology and a Masters in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University, and a BA in History from Oberlin College.

Recent work by Dr. Warner:

• The consequences of implementing a child care voucher: Evidence from Australia, the Netherlands and USA
• Child care and economic development: Markets, households and public policy
• Child care: Work place and economic development supports