As more and more mothers of young children have entered the work
force in America, the question of child care has become a major
issue among employers, scholars, policymakers and, of course, the
general public. The accepted view among those who see a high rate
of female labor force participation as inevitable has long been to
achieve a consistent maternal/parenting leave of approximately six
months, followed by access to good quality child care facilities
for use at parental option. Some European countries are, however,
now going beyond this point by financially enabling parents to stay
at home for one, two, or even three years after childbirth. Sheila
Kamerman and Alfred Kahn explore with European scholars child care
and parenting policies in six countries, and examine the motives
and perspectives involved, the specific problems and their costs,
the extent to which countries can report the impacts of their
methods, and the potential implications of these experiences for
the United States.
Through these national examples, the editors introduce an
important policy debate concerning parenting and children under
three. Among the questions raised are whether the government should
make it financially easier for parents to remain at home, what the
effects of leave policy would be on need for and use of child care
facilities, what the relationships between such assistance and the
broader income support policies would be and--ultimately--what the
consequences of such policies might be for parents and children.
The editors begin their work with an introductory chapter that
defines the issues for the United States and the reasons for
looking toward Europe, and follow with six chapters examining the
policies of countries in the lead in this field: Austria, Germany,
France, Hungary, Finland, and Sweden. The book concludes with a
final chapter that suggests possible directions for U.S. policy.
This work will be an important resource for planners and for
courses in sociology, family studies, early childhood education,
and social policy, as well as for public, corporate, and academic
libraries.
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