Bureaucratic champions and unified childcare sectors: neo-liberalism and inclusive liberalism in Atlantic Canadian childcare systems

Abstract

Despite being generally viewed as homogenous, the four provinces that make up Atlantic Canada have quite different Early Childhood Education and Care systems. Through in-depth interviews of policy actors within the four Atlantic Canadian provinces completed in 2011, this article illustrates that Prince Edward Island had an 'inclusive liberal' childcare system. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick mixed elements of 'inclusive liberalism and 'neo-liberalism' in their childcare systems; and Newfoundland had a 'neo-liberal' childcare system. It is argued that the movements towards 'inclusive liberal' childcare systems in Atlantic Canada were engendered through an alliance of bureaucratic champions and unified childcare sectors. Using ideas that linked improved childcare with economic growth, childcare organizations and bureaucratic champions were able to take advantage of opportunities presented by new circumstances in their childcare systems to engender structural reforms.

Early childhood educators’ experiences with and perspectives of the Early Learning and Child Care Supplement in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador

“…Neoliberalism, as a policy is marked by a shift from a strong, welfare state to a political agenda focused on enhancing economic efficiency, competitiveness, and facilitating the market provision of goods and services (Larner, 2000, p. 6-7). According to McGrane (2014), the province of Newfoundland and Labrador represents a neoliberal childcare model. The province ranked last for having the most generous and advanced early childhood education and care system in Canada (McGrane, 2014).…”

“…According to McGrane (2014), the province of Newfoundland and Labrador represents a neoliberal childcare model. The province ranked last for having the most generous and advanced early childhood education and care system in Canada (McGrane, 2014). Brugère, Chrétien, Cooper-Hadjian and Heffernan (2019) suggest that in a neoliberal world, two circuits of care coexist, first, "an informal circuit in which care is handled internally as a private means to preserve in social life, generally to the disadvantage of women" (p. 72).…”

“…Hyper Capitalism. Mcgrane (2014) argues that early childhood education and care programs in Newfoundland and Labrador represent a neoliberal system with a hyper-focus on capitalism, evident in the preponderance of for-profit programs. Based on the participants' views, the ELCC Supplement program exhibits many features of neoliberalism with a high tolerance for the abuses of a capitalist system.…”

Institutionalized Childcare in Canada, Sweden, and Finland and Women’s Health: The Intersection of Welfare State with Cultural Beliefs

“…Canada, Prentice (2006) maintains that in Canada childcare policy generally adopts a typical liberal welfare state pattern although this may not be the case in Quebec and in some of the Atlantic provinces (McGrane, 2014). The majority of childcare in Canada takes place in unregulated settings, in and out of the home.…”

Social Policy Change: Work–family Tensions in Sweden, Australia and Canada

“…While the newly elected Liberal Government's introduction of mandatory full‐day kindergarten for five year olds represented a first order change, it created an opening for the well‐organized childcare advocacy group, backed by sympathetic officials, to press for complementary reforms to childcare. The government implemented a series of reforms, including incentives to existing providers (private and non‐profit) to join the new publicly managed network of Early Years Centres and the introduction of a province‐wide curriculum for children aged zero to four (McGrane : 9). PEI now has the highest regulated centre‐based coverage for children aged zero to five (46.5 per cent) (Ferns and Friendly : 7).…”