(10 June 2024) Across the globe we observe a growing involvement of private actors in early child education and care (ECEC) and Europe is no exception.
The increasing marketisation of nurseries undermines equitable and universal access to quality early child education and care for all children, as priorities change from the quality of care to commercial objectives.
In France, four private groups have been behind the sharp rise of privatised nurseries, namely Babilou (Evancia), Les Petits Chaperons Rouges (Grandir), People & Baby, and La Maison Bleu. Today they account for around 9% of nursery places. This figure is likely to increase unless public action is taken. The report we are publishing today aims to do a mapping about these French companies in some European countries.
There are over 15 million children in early childhood education (15.4 million in 2021). The data available for Europe distinguishes between early childhood educational development (ages 0-3), which counted 1.8 million children in 2021 and pre-primary education (3-until primary school education), which counted 13.6 million children.
This report, commissioned by EPSU, has been written by the Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU) to provide company research on the four largest French childcare companies and give an overview of the trends in the ECEC sector, especially the scope of privatisation, in France and other European countries where ECEC privatisation is on the increase. The report begins with an overview of the ECEC sector in Europe and of privatisation trends and institutional issues, in the following European countries: UK, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Austria.
For the report
- Log in to post comments
