Child Care From a Global Perspective

By: Salma Naqvi Rehana Begum Dipti Roy Sultana

Sweden!

Sweden: An Overview
3rd largest European country Official language: Swedish Population: 9,516,406
85% lives in sub-urban areas

Currency: Krona

More About Sweden: Governance

Constitutional monarchy Elections are held every 4 years 42% of Parliamentarians are female

More About Sweden: Science

Alfred Nobel
Swiss scientist Institutor of the Nobel Prize Nobel prize named after him

More About Sweden: Music

3rd largest music exporter after the USA and the UK ABBA
Swiss rock band (1972) 21 #1 hits Sold 375 millions records

The worlds first ice hotel was built in Sweden

More About Sweden: Economy & Energy

Engineering makes up 50% of output and exports 1% of the GDP is given as aid At the forefront of sustainable energy and environmental friendliness Has many nuclear power plants
Plans to get rid of petrol, and use bio-fuel

Home of IKEA

Types of Child Care in Sweden

Formal Child Care:
From Birth to Pre-school Age Children
Full-time daycare Part-time daycare Family daycare

Types of Child Care in Sweden

Formal Child Care:
For School going children
After-school care/leisure centers Family daycare Activities during holidays

Types of Child Care in Sweden

Informal Child Care:
Very few
Private paid care Private but not paid

Historical Roots

1854: First infant creche (Daycare Centre) opened

Main purpose: Provide inexpensive care to poor children with mothers working outside the home

Limited number of available places 1935: 4000 children had a place in a creche

Multicultural Childcare System

Multiculturalism present in children in Swedish daycares
Culture and mother tongue training support should be an integral part of their activities

Labour Market and Economy

Since the 1970s, increase in womens labour force By the early 1990s women made up 48% of the Swedish labour force The government wants to alter Sweden's system of parental leave benefits in an effort to get more immigrant women into the workforce

Preschool Activity Rate

In 1950 Preschool activity rate was zero

In 1996 rate was 350000

In 2000 Rate was 300000

Philosophy Behind Approach

Combined work responsibility Educational approach
Staff responsibility Parent involvement Extension of home Focus not on numeracy or literacy Emphasis on social, physical and psychological exploration

Philosophy Behind Approach

Educational Approach contd.
Importance of playing for learning and developmental abilities Outdoor play Gender equality Small percentage of income spent on childcare (1-3%)

Availability & Accessibility

UNICEF rates Sweden as one of the best countries for children What is accessibility?
Availability of service when and where needed

Universally accessible government funded daycare system

Partly funded by central government grants, and partly by tax revenue and parental fees

Availability & Accessibility

Integral part of Swedish welfare system Public childcare extended to children aged 1-12 years Free schooling
Exceptions: Nursery schools and higher education

Availability & Accessibility

Generous parental leave
16 months 480 days of paid leave per child No infants in daycare

Reverse scenario after leave ends

Subsidized daycare
$20,000/child spent annually

Availability & Accessibility

Types of ECEC setting:
Municipal Non-municipal (still publicly financed) 13% children in nonmunicipal settings in pre-school Unevenly distributed Parent co-operative daycare centre

Parent co-operative daycare centres

Privately organized by groups of parents Subsidized by the municipality Parents work on a rotating basis Reduced costs

For profit childcare

Availability & Accessibility

Parent co-operative daycare centres
Privately organized by groups of parents Subsidized by the municipality Parents work on a rotating basis Reduced costs

Childcare Workers Training in Sweden

First training course Total length of the program Family child-minders Child-minders mandatory course

Childcare Workers Training in Sweden

Recently extended program Offering compulsory courses Education Act

References
1. 2. 3. Childcare and Family Ideology in Sweden by Sandra Krapf http://www.dol.govt.nz/PDFs/op1997-2.pdf http://www.oecd.org/education/preschoolandschool/2479039.p df

4.
5. 6.

http://www.wilcoproject.eu/public/assets/img/uploads/WILCO_ WP2_Report_03_SW.pdf
http://www.emes.net/fileadmin/emes/PDF_files/Child_care/Nati onal_Reports/Child_care_NR_S.pdf http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Education/Preschool/