basis. We know from a whole range of surveys that parents struggle with
decisions about childcare for reasons of affordability, availability and
quality.
For many families, the decision about childcare will also affect decisions about the main carer in the home - usually the mother - returning to work: is it worthwhile financially to take up employment once childcare costs are factored in?
For many, the answer will be 'no'. For others, the answer lies in informal childcare to help bridge the gap. And for yet others there will be non-financial reasons for returning to work or staying at home. Decisions about childcare are deeply personal and I suspect there are as many solutions to the conundrum of childcare as there are families.
But there is another way of looking at childcare and that is from the perspective of the state. What role should the state play in childcare? Why should the state be involved and what should be its main purpose? To help working families to meet the costs of living? To enable mothers to go back to work? Or is it to promote child development and to ensure that all children, no matter what their background, arrive at school 'classroom-ready'?
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