SWEET CHILD(CARE) OF MINE: investing in universal provision
In this episode:
Here’s an episode you’ve been asking us to do for a while: we’re talking about the case for universal childcare. Susanne Garvis explains what we can learn from the childcare utopia of Sweden, where she spends more on pre-school for her puppy than her daughter. Then childcare experts Claire Harding and Jerome de Henau discuss problems with the UK system & how we could achieve universal provision. With benefits from parental employment to child development, it’s a no-brainer…
After that, writer Stella Duffy is here to talk about Fun Palaces! First dreamt up in the 1960s, Stella and her team have made the vision of culture for all, and by all, a reality. Turns out it’s not too late to set up your own for the Fun Palaces weekend coming up in October.
Guests
Susanne Garvis, professor of child and youth studies at the University of Gothenburg
Claire Harding, acting head of Coram Family and Childcare
Jerome De Henau (@jerome_dehenau), senior lecturer in economics at the Open University and co-chair for policy at the Women’s Budget Group
Stella Duffy (@stellduffy), writer and co-founder of Fun Palaces
More info
Childcare in the UK
Coram Family and Childcare Trust: Childcare Survey 2019
The Guardian: The holiday nightmare for parents unable to pay £828 for childcare (Jul 2019)
House of Commons Treasury Select Committee: Childcare report (Mar 2018)
Women’s Budget Group: Costing and funding free universal childcare of high quality (Feb 2017)
Childcare elsewhere
Swedish Government: Pre-school – a place to grow
Vox: Elizabeth Warren’s universal childcare plan, explained (Feb 2019)
Economist: The early years are getting increasing attention (Jan 2019)
Fun Palaces