Project overview
Early years and childcare provision promote child development, support parents to work and advance gender equality. While there have been significant improvements in provision for children and families in the UK over the last 15 years, services remain patchy in some areas, costly, and of inconsistent quality.
With public spending cuts in operation for the foreseeable future, this project from the Institute for Public Policy Research aims to examine the current provision of childcare across the UK and consider what approach to its funding and supply would achieve the best social and economic outcomes in the years ahead.
Beginning with a comparative study of OECD countries, Graeme Cooke will head a team who will analyse the link between childcare and key social and economic goals, and develop practical and feasible policy ideas for the current fiscal climate.