Thousands of additional children will pour into California's child care system in the next few years, as welfare reform requires their parents to get jobs. This increased demand is stepping up debate about what role the government should play to ensure the availability of high quality, affordable child care. The experiences of other countries offer a different perspective on the issue — especially countries where residents take it for granted that child care is a public service available to all families.

"Swedes," for example, "see as important the concept that the state plays a role to help the family grow and prosper," says Ken Jaffe, director of the International Child Resource Institute. "Child care is considered a necessity for the economic and social survival of the country, and there is more universal availability of child care. Every neighborhood has a center," regulated by national standards.

The Swedish government also helps fund child care by parents. It pays 80 per cent of a parent's salary for up to a year after the birth of a child. Either parent may take time off or they may divide the time between them. "You almost never find a child under one year old in child care," Jaffe says. Swedish parents are also allowed to take up to 60 days off per year at 80 percent of their salary to care for a sick child.

Vacation pay is also mandatory, "based on the concept that recreation with the family is very important," Jaffe says.

Swedish businesses pay more in taxes to support social services, but the overall tax structure in Sweden is not much higher than America's. In addition to generous child care programs and parent insurance, Swedes receive subsidized health care.

"Swedes pay a maximum tax of 50 percent and we pay a maximum tax of 42 percent," says Jaffe. "But Swedes get much more for their tax money."

State of the art

Holland also provides strong support for child care through a partnership between the employer and municipal governments. Any company that expands its operations must pay part of the cost of the child care the additional workers will need, with local governments paying the rest. Child care centers are generally located in the parent's workplace.

"Holland has more interesting design features because the companies can use their own products in their child care centers," says Jaffe. "Phillips (an electronics company) uses its electronic equipment —TVs, cameras, stereos, etc." Holland also has localized resource and referral programs for family child care.

The cost to businesses of providing child care and other benefits is high, but it has not prevented them from being very successful, according to Jaffe. "They complain about paying taxes but they are making plenty of money," he observes.

The French child care system has also received international attention for its high quality and universal approach. Children may attend state-run nursery schools for free from the time they are toilet trained. Parents with younger children can pay a small fee (geared to their income) for child care in centers run by local governments and nonprofit groups.

In addition, "parents receive a monthly child stipend, regardless of income," says Jaffe. "The government recognizes that families need assistance."

While many of the European countries have been forced to make cuts in their social programs, most have maintained funding for child care. Countries like Sweden have found ways to save money through minor changes, such as cutting parent-leave support from 90 percent to 80 percent of regular pay, moving children from child care to school a week earlier, and raising the ratio of children to child care workers. But "cutbacks mean they are not developing more programs," Jaffe points out.

Not just Europe

Some developing countries, facing more severe budget constraints, have taken creative new approaches to funding child care.

"The Dominican Republic offers an interesting model of intergenerational child care. They have set up centers run by women who are between 60 and 90 years old," Jaffe says. "These women are former elementary school teachers who have fallen into poverty."

Many developing countries must struggle with the additional needs of children who are the victims of poverty, war, or a history of government failure. The International Child Resource Institute is currently developing a program in Romania to combine child care and health care centers for HIV-positive children.

"Because of bad blood supplies in hospitals, a number of kids were infected with HIV," Jaffe explains. "We are developing a high-quality child care center that will also meet the children's health needs."

Cuba, though poor by Western standards, has historically received high marks for its universal child care program. Now, however, economic troubles compounded by the United States trade embargo are taking their toll on child care, Jaffe says.

Like America, Australia can afford to have a strong child care system but is just now making efforts to put one in place.

"Australia is trying to develop a national government subsidy to help families pay for child care," says Jaffe. The national government has also developed local networks of family day care providers, and "local governments have a centralized number that people can call to obtain information about child care programs."

In spite of their differing approaches, these countries all share a recognition that child care is necessary for their economic and social strength. If a similar consensus develops in the United States, the child care systems of our international neighbors could provide valuable models of universal care.

Extra resources from the Children’s Advocate bulletin (updated 4-06)

• Clearinghouse on International Developments in Child, Youth and Family Policies provides information about policies, programs, and services available in 23 countries to address child, youth, and family needs. Topics include parental leave, early care and education, school-age children, single parents, health, work and family, tax benefits, child support, housing, demographics, and poverty. Online at http://www.childpolicyintl.org
  
  
• Forgotten Families is based on in-depth interviews and survey data from thousands of families on five continents. Discusses child health and development, barriers to parents getting and keeping jobs, and problems that families confront. $28. By Jody Heymann. Available from Oxford Press.

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