Childcare in Europe: recent developments
ICMEC seminar 22 February 2010
Both speakers at the second seminar in the 2009/10 ICMEC seminar series recently produced major research reports for the European Commission; Janneke Plantenga for the Directorate General for employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and Helen Penn for the Directorate-General for Education and Culture. For information about these reports, follow these links: Professor J Plantenga 2009 EU report details and weblink; Professor H Penn 2009 EU report details and weblink
Professor Plantenga provided an economist’s perspective on childcare provision within the context of gender and employment issues, while Professor Penn discussed international research evidence on the social benefits of early childhood education and care. Professor Plantenga's report comparing childcare data from 30 European countries within and outside the EU was based on SILC data, the Statistics on Income and Living Data. The audience was reminded that in this database family daycare (childminding) is located under 'other' forms of childcare rather than under 'formal' childcare.
Professor Janneke Plantenga is professor of the economics of the welfare state at the Utrecht School of Economics, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. The title of her presentation was T he provision of childcare in Europe; the Barcelona Targets revisited? You can see the presentation here:22 feb 2010 Professor J Plantenga presentation ICMEC seminar
Professor Helen Penn provided a stimulating overview and analysis of the consequences of the different rationales employed within the EU for the provision of early education and childcare services. The audience was reminded of the great variety of such rationales. European childcare policy is certainly not homogeneous. She is professor of early childhood at the Cass School of Education, University of East London. The title of her presentation was: Early childhood education and care: competing trends in Europe. You can see the presentation here: 22 February 2010 Professor H Penn presentation ICMEC seminar
Posted 25 February 2010
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Childcare Businesses as Social Enterprises
ICMEC seminar 24 September 2009
Social enterprise as a business model with primarily social objectives has received much attention of late as a potential engine of greater equity of economic power and a more sustainable society. Compared to ‘conventional’ businesses, this model remains under-researched.
It can be argued that childcare businesses are essentially social enterprises, because their social objectives are central to their activities. This goes beyond the reinvestment of any surpluses for the purposes of that business. Can this or any other childcare business model be made to work, though, in the context of current government policy and economic climate?
Given widely reported childcare sustainability problems in the UK, this topic was definitely due for serious examination by the group entrepreneurs, policy makers, union representatives, academics and journalists that make up the ICMEC audience. At the first ICMEC seminar in the 2009/2010 - third – series of international seminars, childcare businesses were discussed from two separate angles by two childcare entrepreneurs with a business interest in the east end of London.
From a social enterprise perspective, June O’Sullivan, CEO of the London Early Years Foundation (formerly Westminster Children’s Society) discussed the business model underpinning the 19 LEYF day nurseries around London. From the perspective of a commercial concern with social objectives, Michael Brandon, chairman and founder of the Foundations for Learning childcare chain, discussed the business model of his two clusters of day nurseries in Bury and in the London Borough of Newham. Both speakers had experience of providing daycare as part of a Sure Start Children’s Centre core offer. For her presentation, follow this link: June OSullivan London Early Years Foundation ICMEC presentation 24 September 09
In her wide-ranging presentation, June O’Sullivan highlighted the challenges inherent in a not-for-profit childcare business focussed on meeting the childcare and family support needs of the poorest section of society, while making a contribution to community wellbeing and indirectly building social capital. A basic social enterprise ‘offer’ would need to demonstrate these characteristics:
According to June, LEYC recognised that a mixed intake of children from higher as well as lower income families was key not only to individual children’s well-being, but also to the sustainability of provision.
The second speaker, Michael Brandon, provided a fascinating insight into the Foundations for Learning operations management model, particularly risk management and how to control staffing costs in the interest of keeping fees level while encouraging parent loyalty and maintain quality. He argued passionately that schools and teachers are inappropriate organisational models for early years provision. Any early years provider who would try to emulate the conditions found in nursery schools and classes was on a hiding to nothing in terms of sustainability and fitness for purpose. For his presentation, follow this link:ICMEC 24 September 2008 Michael Brandon Foundations for Learning presentation
Not unexpectedly, both presentations generated lively debate about the philosophy underpinning either business model and their sustainability without significant and continuing public funding support. Evidence from the evaluation of the Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative and direct experience of its wider management was cited in support of and against the argument that these models could possibly be made to work under the right conditions.
Posted 30 September 2009
REPORTS
Childcare legistlation in The Netherlands
The 2005 Dutch Childcare Act radically changed the way the Dutch childcare system is funded and regulated. The Act replaced a local government operated supply-side funding system for private-for-profit and not-for-profit providers.
In its place it introduced a demand-led childcare market, whose engine is powered by three different sources of finance. Childcare costs, including those of care by relatives or friends, are now shared by parents, employers and the state. Employer contributions are compulsory. Childcare quality regulation is light-touch.
In the Netherlands childcare means what it says and includes centre-based daycare and out of school care and care delivered by childminders. In contrast, one year of publicly funded early education is universally provided in schools for children from their fourth birthday. Mothers primarily work part-time while their children are young.
Rob Vergeer, CEO and Leontine Diemel, manager planning and control, of Dutch not-for-profit childcare chain Triodus NL explored the intended and unintended consequences of this childcare revolution from a childcare business perspective. Their organisation, Triodus, has been providing childcare for young children in and around The Hague since 1910.
For an overview of recent developments in the Netherlands by Leontine Diemel, see Leontine Diemel background paper ICMEC seminar 23.03.09
For the two powerpoint presentations by Leontine Diemel and Rob Vergeer follow these links: Leontine Diemel ICMEC seminar 23.03.09 and: Rob Vergeer presentation ICMEC seminar 23.03.09
Two discussants responded in depth to the issues raised about teh Dutch mixed childcaremarket economy, before they were discussed more widely by the audience in an extremely lively and open discussion.
Also from a childare business perspective, Carole Edmond, managing director of not-for-profit childcare chain TEDDIES, in her response picked out five striking differences between the Dutch and the English situation and considered the respective merits of each country' s position in these matters.
In a second response, professor Kazem Chaharbaghi, professor of Management at the UEL Business School, asked searching questions of the ethical issues posed by the Dutch childcare revolution and alluded to emerging research identifying problems with these developments. His presentation can be found by following this link: Kazem Chaharbaghi response ICMEC seminar 23.03.09
Biographical details for all four speakers can be found at: ICMEC seminar 23.03.09 biographical details1
Posted by Eva Lloyd, 25 March 2009
Childcare Settings and Childcare Quality
On 9th February Professor Kathy Sylva, professor of Educational sychology and Head of the Child Care Quality Team at the Department of Education, University of Oxford, gave a fascinating and extensive presentation at the fourth seminar in the second series of ICMEC international seminars.
Kathy Sylva is one of the leaders of the DCSF research on effective pre-school, primary and secondary education (EPPSE) and on the evaluations of the Graduate Leader Fund and the Early Learning Partnership Project. A dominant theme throughout her work has been the impact of education and care not only on 'academic knowledge' but on children’s problem-solving, social skills and dispositions to learn. A related theme in her research is the impact of early interventions on combating social disadvantage and exclusion. She was specialist Adviser to the House of Commons Select Committee on Education in 2000-2001 and again in 2005-08. She was awarded an OBE in 2008 for services to children and families.
Her topic for 9th February was the way in which the relationship between childcare quality and young children’s development has been measured in a number of major UK studies and what this tells us about the type of provision which best promotes children’s educational outcomes. Her focus was on the use of the revised and extended versions of an instrument originally developed some thirty years ago: the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, which has been substantially informed by practitioner views since then. A reference to a paper by Kathy Sylva and others is found below.
Professor Sylva explained and illustrated the use of ECERS-R and ECERS-E and the differences between them with reference to the impact of childcare quality for children aged 3 to 5 in three major studies: the longitudinal Effective Pre-school Education (EPPE) Study and its follow-up studies, the Neighbourhood Nurseries Evaluation and the Millennium Cohort Study. In NNI and MCS, the Infant and Toddler Environment Rating Scale – ITERS - had also been used to measure the impact of childcare quality on children aged 0 to 3.
Both the EPPI and the MCS findings clearly showed the superior impact of maintained provision, that is provision in state-funded nursery classes and schools and integrated early childhood centres, on children’s later educational outcomes. Professor Sylva emphasised that it is only the impact of certain quality dimensions to do with teaching style and the qualifications of those in the rooms observed which can still be detected in children’s educational outcomes at age 11. While not disputing the importance of other dimensions of quality, it was hard to detect their lasting impact on children’s educational outcomes. To see a copy of Professor Sylva’s presentation follow this link: Kathy Sylva UEL ICMEC seminar 9 Feb 09
In her response, Professor Helen Penn pointed out that it was hard to see evidence of the impact of such painstaking studies on current and recent early childhood policy in this country. Neither did she see any indication that provision would or could be improved on the basis of these findings, as practitioners would have great difficulty using such research instruments to improve practice quality in situation over which they had no control. Findings like these did not address the major concerns raised by OECD, the EU and UNICEF about, equitable access, childcare quality and the balance between work and family life. She doubted whether the ‘permitting circumstances’ for childcare quality as identified by the various versions of ECERS, were present in the majority of early education and childcare group settings. It could be argued that the present mixed market economy of childcare rendered the early childhood care and education system in England ‘dysfunctional’, certainly as compared with systems such as those found in France, Hungary and Finland. For the full text of her presentation, follow this link: Helen Penn response to Kathy Sylva presentation ICMEC 9 February 2009
The seminar chair, ICMEC’s co-director Eva Lloyd, had to give to the audience apologies from the second discussant, Carol Jenkins, Managing Director of Places for Children. Recovering from a recent serious illness meant she was unable to attend this seminar, but she hoped to provide an input at a future ICMEC event.
In the wide-ranging discussion that followed the presentation and the response, members of the audience explored these issues raised further and some questioned the continuing relevance of this type of research findings when the nature of provision is changing so rapidly. The proportion of ‘maintained’ provision for 0 to 5 year olds within the current mixed economy of childcare had after all declined significantly. Childcare qualifications, in particular the potential contribution of Early Years Professional Status, were critically discussed.
E., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Taggart, B., with Hunt, S., Jelicic, H., Barreau, S., Grabbe, Y., Smees, R., & Welcomme, W. (2008). Effective Pre-School and Primary Education 3-11 Project (EPPE 3-11) Final report from the primary phase: pre-school, school and family influences on children’s development during Key Stage 2 (age 7-11). DCSF Research Report. Nottingham: DCSF Publications.
Posted by Eva Lloyd, 10 February 2009
Childcare, Choice and Social Class
Professor Carol Vincent and professor Stephen Ball from London University's Institute of Education, illustrated the increasing social stratification of childcare in this country with examples from their seminal research conducted in the mid nineties in London's Battersea and Stoke Newington districts. They transparently highlighted findings from these two ESRC funded studies which confirm the different aspirations and expectations among working class and middle class families for their children's early childhood education and care provision. These studies demonstrated how the imperfectly operating and 'peculiar' childcare market constrains the childcare choices available to working class families.
Several papers have already been published in academic journals, reporting on these studies. The most recenton is: Carol Vincent, Annette Brown and Stephen J. Ball (2008) 'Childcare, Choice and Social Class: Caring for Young Children in the UK,' Critical Social Policy, 28(1), pp. 5-26.
The PP presentation Professor Vincent and Professor Ball used for the ICMEC seminar on 15 December can be found by following this link:
Dr Gillian Paull, Research Associate at the Institute of Fiscal Studies, acted as discussant. She explored the paper in great depth from an economist's perspective. She queried whether the childcare market is as 'peculiar' as Vincent and Ball maintain, and emphasised its similaries with other markets where consumers are proxy consumers, as in the case of parents choosing childcare provision for their children, or have limited choices. For the notes underpinning her important presentation follow this link:
Paull ICMEC Seminar 15th December
Finally, Raymond Whyte, childcare business development officer in the LB Brent, acted as discussant from a local authority perspective. He explained recent paterns and trends in childcare provision in Brent with reference to Vincent and Ball's presentation. He noted that in some areas of this diverse borough, childcare provision was segregated not only along class lines, but also along racial lines. It was becoming obvious, he pointed out, that some provision would fail under the market conditions resulting from the present economic situation. Montessori provision had proved popular with parents across the borough, being regarded as high quality and a good start to children's future schooling.
These four presentations were followed by an extremely lively discussion, which explored the possible implications of the analyses provided for the future prospects of those operating within and shopping within the mixed economy of childcare.
Posted by Eva Lloyd, 16 December 2008
The first seminar in the second ICMEC International seminar series explored the corporatisation of childcare in Australia, with particular emphasis on the latest developments at ABC Learning, the world's largest childcare corporation.
Professor Christine Woodrow from the University of Western Sydney and Dr Fran Press from Charles Sturt University, NSW, talked about:
'Investigating the reach and implications of the corporatisation of childcare in Australia: the giant in the playground'
Their paper reported on research they undertook into the background, scope and reach of Australian childcare corporations and questioned whether the free childcare market operating in Australia conflicts with values of civil society and is against the best interest of children. I included some extremely recent information on the latest dramatic developments at ABC Learning. For further information see the news section in the righhand margin of the landing page of this website.
A thoughtful response to the paper was provided by Professor Collette Tayler of the University of Melbourne, who urged all those present and interested in the issues to focus on possible ways forward in operating an equitable and quality mixed childcare market. She also provided valuable information onsome of the economic background to the way childcare provision in Australia is currently organised.
To see the powerpoint presentation prepared by Professor Woodrow and Dr Press follow this link: ICMEC seminar Christine WOODROW and Fran PRESS 1 September 2008
Posted by Eva Lloyd, 10 September 2008
This seminar was organised in partnership with the Overseas Development Institute. It set out to explore the operation of the for-profit market in the provision of early childhood care and education in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr Hasina Ebrahim from the School of Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal was the first speaker and reported on a study she conducted among private daynurseries in Durban, Natal:
'Conflicting discourses of private nursery entrepreneurs in KwaZulu-Natal.'
To see the Power Point presentation she employed follow this link:
Ebrahim presentation ICMEC-ODI SEMINAR 2 JUNE 2008
Dr Marito Garcia, lead human development economist at the World Bank's Human Development Department, Africa Region, asked the question; "who provides" in an exploration of the role of the private market in early childhood development in Africa.'
To see the PowerPoint presentation he employed follow this link:
Garcia presentation ECD Book Launch ICMEC-ODI Seminar London June 2-08
The presentations were followed by a lively discussion, after which delegates at this seminar were joined by others for the launch of a new book produced earlier this year by the World Bank: Africa's Future, Africa's Challenge: early Childhood Care and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Edited by Marito Garcia, Alan Pence and Judith Evans, all this book's chapters were contributed by World Bank staff.
Dr Caroline Harper, ODI Research Fellow and Porgramme Leader, Social Development, chaired its UK launch, while Professor Helen Penn, Co-director of ICMEC and Dr Hasina Ebrahim provided responses to Dr Garcia's introduction to the issues discussed in the book.
All presentations as well as the lively discussion forming part of this launch can be found by following links to video casts on the ODI website: www.odi.org.uk by looking under the heading 'recent events.'
Academics, policy makers and analysts, journalists and students were joined by workers from a range of international development agencies for this event which took place at ODI's headquarters in Waterloo.
Posted by Eva Lloyd, 5 June 2008
At the third seminar in the ICMEC international seminar series it was the turn of a Government representative to set the Goverment's approach to the mixed economy of childcare in a wider context. Graham Archer, Deputy Director Childcare at the Department for Children, Schools and Families spoke on the topic "Childcare and early years provision in a diverse market - the Government's approach."
As part of a wide-ranging presentation he focused on developments following the 2004 launch of the Ten Year Strategy for Childcare and reiterated the Government's position that "The diverse market is the only game in town", while justifying this approach by emphasising the strengths of the private for-proft and not-for profit sectors, such as their flexibility.
As this seminar paid special attention to the needs of disadvantaged children and their families, Graham Archer explained the Government's plans for widening access by means of the Affordable Childcare Campaign. This aims to increase the take-up of tax credits and influence the sector with regards to positioning childcare within the wider child poverty agenda. Ultimately, Local Authorities would have to take the lead in realising a sustainable childcare market under their 'childcare sufficiency' duty contained in the 2006 Childcare Act.
In a thoughtful response, Ivana La Valle, Co-director of the Families & Children Group at the National Centre for Social Research compared the Government's stated position with the findings from a series of recent Government commissioned studies conducted by NatCen. Her presentation addressed three questions:
•Early years education (EYE) and childcare: what has been achieved in the past decade?
•What remains to be done?
•Can Local Authorities do it?
Their findings highlight that there is a mismatch between childcare availability and the working patterns of low-paid women in particular. Distrust of tax credits had been generated by initial serious problems with their adminstration. Ivana addressed the needs of disdavantaged children throughout her presentation.
Issues raised in the discussion that followed the two presentations included:
The powerpoint presentations by the two speakers can be found by following these links.
For Graham Archer's presentation go to:
ICMEC presentation Graham Archer DCSF 12 May 08
For Ivana La Valle's presentation go to:
ICMEC sem 12 May 08.ppt Ivana La Valle respondent
posted by Eva Lloyd, 13 May 2008
Professor Helen Penn, Co-director of ICMEC, chaired and introduced the second international ICMEC seminar on the topic:
“Childcare quality in the mixed economy of welfare: an economist’s view”.
This took place at UEL’s Docklands Campus on Friday 14 March 2008 and the economist in question was Professor Gordon Cleveland. Gordon Cleveland is Associate Chair and Senior Lecturer in Economics at the Department of Management, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, where since 1992 he has been working in the field of childcare. He has written background economic papers for the OECD as part of their 20 nation review of early childhood education and care. His most recent work in Canada attempts to calculate variations in quality across the various childcare sectors, and relate these to costs. Further information about Professor Cleveland’s work for OECD and his recent publications is available at www.childcarepolicy.net
Can we put a price on quality? Was the question asked by Professor Cleveland, on the basis of an analysis of the data from four separate data sets gathered through studies of for-profit and not-for-profit childcare provision in Canada. This research attempted to calculate variations in quality across these two childcare sectors, and relate these to costs. This three year study by Gordon Cleveland, Barry Forer, Douglas Hyatt, Christa Japel and Michael Krashinsky attempted to establish the factors within non-profit childcare operations which were responsible for higher quality provision.The full report on which the presentation was based can be found by following the link on the childcare policy website. Evidence was provided that difficulties arose from defining what constitutes ‘quality’. There are various measures of ‘quality’ and judgements regarding ‘quality’ are not consistent. Whether quality childcare may be achieved in a mixed economy of childcare was debated.
In his response to Professor Cleveland’s presentation, Professor Peter Moss also highlighted the notion and definition of ‘quality’ as problematic as well as critiquing the impact of a neo-liberal approach to policy-making in social care in the UK. He referred to his recently completed review for the Bertelsmann Foundation, the largest non-profit Foundation in Germany, exploring two models for the development of early childhood education and care services. This report can be found at http://www.kinder-frueher-foerdern.de or by following this link: PeterMoss_engl_Vorversion_080307rs
Peter Moss is Professor of Early Childhood at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London. His national and cross-national research since the late sixties is reflected in a wide range of publications on early childhood, childhood, early childhood provision, children’s services, gender equity, children’s position in early childhood settings and issues around care. Between 1986 and 1996 he was Co-ordinator of the European Commission Network on Childcare and other Measures to Reconcile Employment and Family Responsibilities. His most recent book, co-authored with Gunilla Dahlbeg, is Ethics and Politics in Early Childhood Education (Routledge, 2005). Further information about his work and publications is available from the Institute of Education website.
Discussion points raised by the audience of policymakers and analysts, childcare managers, trade union representatives, journalists and academics included:
Posted by Karen Horsley, 27 March 2008
On Monday 3 December 2007 the first seminar was held in the ICMEC international seminar series. An invited audience of delegates from the private-for-profit and not-for-profit and from the public sector attended UEL's Docklands campus alongside policymakers, academics and journalists. Interested in the mixed economy of childcare, they came to hear and discuss presentations on the subject of 'Surplus or profit: the case of public funding for private childcare provision' and take part in a discussion.
The impact of the London Development Agency's Childcare Affordability Programme was analysed by LDA Head of Childcare, Denise Burke, and William Laing, CEO of social care research agency Laing & Buisson, discussed the question 'Is childcare safe in private sector hands?' In her role as discussant, ICMEC Co-Director Helen Penn responded to the presentations.
To read their presentations follow these links: Burke, Laing, Penn.
A brief report on the discussion that followed the presentations can be found by following the link.
Posted by Eva Lloyd, 5 December 2007
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