Danish Child-Care Policies within Path — Timing, Sequence, Actors and Opportunity Structures

Abstract

The challenges from globalisation and ageing populations that all Western countries face have fostered increased interest in integrating women in employment. All over Europe, there is a clear trend towards dual-earner family models. Child care has long constituted a pressing problem, and feminist organisations, unions and particularly leftist political parties have argued for expanding child-care solutions, though with limited success in some countries. The new challenges have accentuated the issue, moving it up on the political agenda both nationally and within the European Union. There is, however, by no means agreement among the member state governments about who should provide and who should pay for the care of small children, and they have different traditions for what kind of services should be provided.