International Centre for the Study of the Mixed Economy of Childcare

Publications and Abstracts

• A major report on the London childcare market was published in early February 2011 by the London Development Agency and launch at an ICMEC seminar on 3 March 2011. Eva Lloyd and Helen Penn co-wrote this report, together with researchers from two independent social and economic research agencies: Roger Tym & Partners and Laing & Buisson. Eva gave a presentation on this report to the GLA Health and Public Services Committee in September 2011 to inform their work on the formulation of a London wide childcare strategy.

To download the report click on: http://www.lda.gov.uk/publications-and-media/index.aspx

• At the start of 2011 Open University Press published a new book by Helen Penn:Quality in Early Childhood Services: An International Perspective. (ISBN 9780335228782)

According to the publishers' synopsis: "This book examines how quality and good practice in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is interpreted and implemented in a variety of settings and circumstances. Drawing on her experience of research and policy making in a wide variety of countries, the author considers the variety of rationales that inform services for early childhood education and care. Services are organized, financed and delivered in many different ways across the world. The policies that have been adopted by governments, and the resources which are made available for implementing them, have shaped practice. On the one hand there are complex ideas about what children should be learning and how they should be learning. These ideas about curriculum and the training of teachers and carers may differ radically between countries. On the other hand policies have been prompted by the need to reconcile family and work obligations and to provide childcare to support working mothers, irrespective of educational concerns. The notions of economic competition and parental choice have led to the growth of private for-profit childcare services which promote a particular view of quality and achievement. Above all, growing inequality within countries, and between rich and poor countries, have undermined attempts to provide good quality services. In an unfair world, the impact of any services is likely to be distorted. This book charts the many different approaches to understanding and measuring quality and gives an exceptionally well-informed overview."

• Eva Lloyd and Helen Penn recently published a paper on Eva Lloyd's recently completed comparative study of the Dutch and English childcare markets, which was funded by the Royal Docks Business School at UEL. The paper appeared in Public Policy Research, the journal of the think tank Institute for Public Policy Research, IPPR. Lloyd, E. and Penn, H. (2010) 'Why do childcare markets fail? Comparing England and the Netherlands.' Public Policy Research, Vol 17(1), 42-48.

• The impact of the mixed market economy of childcare on the structure and professionalisation of the early childhood workforce is clearly reflected in the creation of the status of Early Years Professional. Together with Dr Elaine Hallet at the Institute of Education of the University of London Eva Lloyd this year published this paper locating the creation of this status within its policy context and exploring it within the theoretical framework of sociological theories of the professions. Lloyd, E. and Hallet, E. (2010) 'Professionalising the early childhood workforce in England: work in progress or missed opportunity?' Contemporary Issues in the Early Years, Vol 11(1), 75-88.

• Siyabonana: we all see each other is the title of the latest publication from Children in Scotland in their International Perspective Series on Building Better Childhoods. The book deals with building better childhoods in South Africa, was written by Helen Penn and Trisha Maynard and was published in the last week of February 2010. The report's ISBN number is 978-1 901589-88-7 and it an be ordered online at www.childreninscotland.org.uk/publications.

• At the start of June 2009 a major report for the European Commission appeared, written by Helen Penn. She prepared this report on Early Childhood Education and Care: Key lessons from research for Policy Makers in collaboration with a team of experts. To see the report, follow this link: NESSE_ECEC_REPORT_JUNE09

• Another important report was recently published by the EU Expert Group on Gender, Social Inclusion and Employment. This comparison of childcare policies and systems in 30 countries can be accessed by following this link: the provision of childcare services comparative EU report 2009

• Zena Brabazon, the ICMEC Research Fellow, earlier this years completed her research into the uptake of Children's Centre services, which was undertaken with support from a Children's Workforce Development Council's Practitioner research grant. To see her report follow this link: zena final version feb 26

• At the start of November 2008 Helen Penn presented a paper, International perspectives on quality in mixed economies of childcare, at a conference organised by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. Her paper has now been published in the National Institute Economic Review's January 2009 issue.

• In the issues of Nursery World dated 6 November 2008 Eva Lloyd published an analysis piece: 'Informal care too costly for the Dutch.' The Netherlands has pioneered financial help for grandparents childminding for their family, but while uptake has been huge, the system has thrown up unintended side-effects.

• October 2008. Eva Lloyd's analys of the interface between New Labour's childcare, family support and child poverty strategies has now been published. This article does discuss developments in the mixed econmy of childcare in recent years. 'The interface between childcare, family support and child poverty strategies under New Labour: tensions and contradictions' can be found in Social Policy and Society, 7:4, 479-494.

• September 2008. The second edition of Helen Penn's book Understanding Early Childhood: Issues and Controversies, has just appeared with Open University Press (2008, 2nd edition). It contains new coverage of global trends in early childhood policy and provision, including market approaches.

• For a direct link to Helen Penn's 2007 article on the UK childare market in the journal Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood follow the link in the righthand column on this page under the heading 'Resources'.

© 2007