“Who Cares for the Children?” Lessons from a Global Perspective of Child Care Policy

Abstract

We present the argument that the meaning of child care and the policies that address it are explicitly linked with national ideologies, work force participation, economic success, and child outcomes. The relationship between family and child care policies is cyclical in nature, with a nation's ideology and vision of family often driving child care policies, while child care policies in turn drive and support a nation's ideology. We examine the interrelatedness of child care policy and national ideologies of family in selected industrialized countries. Specifically, this paper first defines child care policy and discusses the national ideological frameworks that provide the impetus for child care policy formation and implementation. Second, the paper explores current child care policies and their connection to the historical and political context of several countries within, including France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Belgium, the Nordic countries, and the United States. Lastly, recommendations are offered for the future of child care policy development with specific recommendations for child care policy development in the United States.

The Role of School Leaders’ Health Literacy for the Implementation of Health Promoting Schools

“…Secondly, there is a particular need for support especially for male school leaders, who are more often affected by limited health literacy than female respondents (36.5% vs. 26.9%). It is argued that these gender differences can be traced back to the traditional division of gender roles, which ascribes greater responsibility to women for the health of family members (e.g., child and elderly care) [30,57,58]. In addition, women make more frequent use of health promotion, prevention, and health care services compared to men, which could lead to women having greater health knowledge and greater routine in using the health care system [59,60].…”

Structural characteristics and process quality in early childhood education and care

“…the Caregiver Interaction Scale [CIS], (Arnett, 1989 [29] )) revealed few differences between family-and centre-based care (e.g. (Fuller et al, 2004 [142] ; Loeb et al, 2004 [147] ). Home-care providers showed adequate levels of warm and nurturing relationships and high levels of positive engagement with the children (e.g.…”

Quality of Early Childhood Development Programs in Global Contexts: Rationale for Investment, Conceptual Framework and Implications for Equity and commentaries

“…The impact of national ideologies on policy, for example, is huge. Family ideologies in some countries have stimulated policies that view child care as an extension of human rights, while others see it as a private matter (Lokteff & Piercy, 2011). As professionals, parents, and policy makers advocate for higher quality ecd services during the next decade, there is an urgent need to clearly delineate core principles that will bridge these differences.…”