Description:

Decades of comparative research have led to a general agreement on the basic requirements for a good system of nonparental child care and recognition that the establishment of such a system requires government support. Comparative policy analysis shows that a few countries, like Denmark and Sweden, come close to the ideal. In other countries, there are real "islands of excellence" (e.g. Emilia Romagna in Italy). Yet many systems offer substantially less than this and recent developments suggest that the trend is not necessarily one of progress toward the ideal.

The following paper explores:

What are the diverse ways that governments shape the scope and quality of nonparental child care arrangements? How have different countries responded to the governance challenges? Finally, to what extent have governments turned to recruitment through global care chains to meet the growing demand for child care?