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Universal early years education and care

“‘Starting Strong’ - Free education and care for all children under school age
(soundbite from the title of an OECD report)”

2. How does it fit with Compass’ core beliefs of equality, solidarity, democracy, freedom, sustainability and well being?

Early years provision would be available to everyone, regardless of income or labour market attachment.
Denmark’s daycare system is based on a model of pedagogy focusing on children as citizens of the present and future and fostering solidarity amongst children from all backgrounds.
In the UK, by the time children from low income families start school they are already behind children from wealthier families. Early years provion would close this gap.
Denmark has the highest female workforce participation in Europe - and other Nordic countries similarly - due in no small part to their universal daycare systems.

3. How does it build the institutions of social democracy, like social groups and collective and cooperative forms of ownership and control?

All social democratic countries based on solidaristic principles have universal early years provision. In those countries, involvement of the private market is minimal compared to the marketised system in the UK. Current inadequate and poor provision in the UK is a sign of market failure.
Evidence links early years provision with better integration and diversity and can be beneficial for children and their parents.
Improved funding for early years will help provide better pay, conditions and training to transform the current ‘childcare’ sector in the UK from being low paid, low valued women’s work.

4. How much will it cost or raise and where will any cost come from?

PricewaterhouseCoopers (2004) has produced costings for the Daycare Trust which include wrap-around and holiday care for school-age children. There could be a choice of subsidised care outside the home or a home care allowance for one-year olds (as in Finland). Another option is 18 months’ (shared) parental leave followed by subsidised care. Improvements would require an increase in Government spending of around £30bn, compared to current spending of £10bn. Estimates are based on majority funding from public funds and a smaller parental contribution than parents currently make.

5. Which groups in the electorate are likely to support or oppose this measure? Is there any polling evidence you have on this?

The majority of parents are likely to see the value of this policy but anyone concerned about child poverty and creating a better society has reason to support better early years provision. It is likely to be opposed by people who think that women should not work and also those who think (a) that early years provision is just about nursery care; and (b) that children in nursery care are damaged by the experience – although such critics do not acknowledge that this is linked to bad quality and patchy provision resulting from market failure.

6. Is there a place or country where it’s worked? Please provide some information.

It works in Denmark and Sweden. One critique is that these countries don’t provide a choice for parents who do not want to work but wish to look after their children themselves. In this respect Finland is a good model for providing choice in terms of the Home Care Allowance. As well as the Nordic countries, growing evidence from both the UK and US shows the benefits of good quality early years provision.

7. What are the three main arguments in favour/against it?

Equality - women’s labour market participation in general, as well as encouraging both men and women into the ‘childcare’ sector.
Child poverty – to lift children out of poverty through paid work, good quality replacement care must be available. Early years provision can close the achievement gap resulting from income inequalities. International evidence shows that investment in people earlier in the life cycle is more effective and forms a foundation for subsequent policies.
Fostering citizenship and solidarity - by valuing children and childhood and involving parents and carers in creating strong communities.

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