Social Investment or Childcare on the Cheap?

Abstract

Abstract Governments have expanded early childhood education and care (ECEC) in recent decades—often in the name of social investment—yet some do so in ways that are more congruent with social investment objectives than others. To explain these differences, this chapter analyzes ECEC expansions in six countries—France, Germany, Ireland, Slovenia, New Zealand, and Norway—whose systems differ in terms of quality, accessibility to low-income families, and the quality of work for ECEC staff. Two factors explain these differences. One is whether ECEC programs are administered by educational or social welfare administrations, which shapes protagonists involved in program expansion. Left political power is the second factor influencing the nature of ECEC expansion: Left and right governments have expanded spending on ECEC in recent years, yet only left parties do so in ways congruent with social investment goals. These governments are therefore more likely to develop programs that invest in children, their parents, and ECEC workers.