The social and economic benefits of good quality childcare and early years education

Foreword

Childcare and early years education have emerged as an important issue for the European Commission in its annual process of policy coordination – the European Economic Semester. Each year the Annual Growth Survey (AGS) sets out the priorities for the coming Semester and for 2015 this includes the “

  • LRD report on child care - EN
  • - [For the statement->http://www.epsu.org/a/11728">…] need for simplified and better targeted social policies complemented by affordable quality childcare and education […]”

    The main elements of the AGS are then taken up in the Commission’s Country-Specific Recommendations and several Member States (nine in 2012, 11 in 2013, 10 in 2014 and six this year) have been urged to address in various ways the provision of affordable childcare.

    For the Commission, the main driving force behind this policy is the extent to which it can help increase the participation of parents, particularly women, in the labour market. However, the provision of high quality, affordable and accessible childcare delivers a range of important short and long-term social and economic benefits. These include helping to reduce the poverty and inequality that impairs children’s educational and social development; providing employment in the sector itself and contributing to closing the gender pay and employment gaps.

    EPSU is the European trade union federation that brings together the vast majority of trade unions representing childcare workers across Europe and it very much welcomes this focus on childcare and early years education. In fact, EPSU wants to see the case for increased funding and investment in the sector made much more strongly. The Country-Specific Recommendations should continue to press for increased provision but with greater emphasis on quality as well as access and affordability.

    Investment in childcare facilities should also be a priority. The latest Annual Growth Survey conceded that many Member States had cut back on areas of public investment that would contribute to economic growth. EPSU argues that urgent action is needed in this area and significant investments in childcare should feature prominently here, not only because they can deliver increased employment and improved access to labour markets for working women but because of the long-term social and economic benefits.

    This briefing brings together the evidence to support EPSU’s argument for increased investment in quality childcare. It was written for EPSU by Clare Ruhemann, Labour Research Department (LRD), and finalised in June 2015. The studies quoted here clearly demonstrate the social and economic benefits from such investment and EPSU hopes that this will contribute to pushing childcare up the political agenda.

    EPSU, Brussels, October 2015

    Jan Willem Goudriaan, EPSU General Secretary

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