# EUR-Lex - 52013DC0322 - EN

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# 52013DC0322

**REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Barcelona objectives The development of childcare facilities for young children in Europe with a view to sustainable and inclusive growth /* COM/2013/0322 final */**

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1........... Introduction.................................................................................................................... 2

2........... Achieving the Barcelona
objectives: A necessity.............................................................. 3

3........... State of play................................................................................................................... 4

4........... Quality: Still uneven across
Europe................................................................................ 11

5........... Achieving the Barcelona
objectives, a renewed commitment in the Europe 2020 Strategy 14

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE
AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Barcelona
objectives
The development of childcare facilities for young children in Europe with a
view to sustainable and inclusive growth

1.           Introduction

The availability of high quality,
affordable childcare facilities for young children from birth to compulsory
school age[1]
is a priority for the European Union. These
facilities include day nurseries and other daycare centres including family
day-care, professional certified childminders, pre-school education or
equivalent, mandatory school education and centre-based services outside school
hours.

In 2002,
the Barcelona European Council set objectives in this area: "Member
States should remove disincentives to female labour force participation, taking
into account the demand for childcare facilities and in line with national
patterns of provision, to provide childcare by 2010 to at least 90 % of
children between 3 years old and the mandatory school age and at least 33 % of
children under 3 years of age[2]".

Since then, achieving the Barcelona
objectives has been at the heart of European priority setting, first in the
Lisbon Strategy and subsequently in the Europe 2020 Strategy[3]. Indeed, the ability of the
Member States to significantly and sustainably increase the employment rate
depends on, among other things, the opportunities men and women have to achieve
a work-life balance. The availability of quality childcare facilities is
crucial in this respect. Together with flexible working arrangements and the
provision of a suitable system of family leave, it forms a raft of measures for
achieving a work-life balance promoted at European level. It is also an
essential investment in the development of children, the fight against early
school leaving and against the transmission of inequalities[4].

Although some progress has been made since
2002, and despite the commitment of the Member States through two successive
European pacts for equality between women and men[5], the provision of childcare
facilities at European level in 2010 was still not in line with these
objectives. Furthermore, the situation appeared to deteriorate in some
Member States in 2011.

It is necessary to reopen the debate on
this deficit and its causes, while at the same time proposing solutions and
policy approaches to reaching these objectives. This third European semester
is a political opportunity to reaffirm the importance of childcare facilities
and their contribution to the objectives of the European Union.

Against this background and as announced in
the Strategy for equality between women and men 2010-2015[6], the aim of this document is to
report on the state of play of the implementation of the Barcelona objectives
in the Member States. It identifies the obstacles and challenges faced by
Member States in developing their childcare facilities for young children, it
highlights the need to reaffirm these objectives and serves as a reminder of
the commitments the European Commission has made to supporting the Member
States, and, together with the recent, additional initiatives from the
Commission such as the proposal for a Directive on gender balance on company
boards[7],
it represents a real contribution from the Commission to the attainment of the
Europe 2020 Strategy's objectives and the promotion of gender equality.

2.           Achieving
the Barcelona objectives: A necessity

...if we are to achieve the objectives of
the Europe 2020 strategy

The
objective of an employment rate of 75% will not be
reached by 2020 without the involvement of women[8].
Reconciliation policies are essential to promoting the employment of women.

In particular,
access to childcare facilities for young children is the main factor
influencing the participation of women in the labour market, increases in
public spending on these services being linked to increases in the full-time
employment of women[9].

Improving
access to the labour market for women increases and diversifies the expertise
available, thus enabling businesses to equip themselves with the best
resources and to be more competitive while guaranteeing a return on
investment in education for the Member States.

Reconciliation
policies in general and the provision of childcare facilities in particular
enable both women and men to achieve economic independence and to contribute to
the fulfilment of another major objective of the Europe 2020 strategy: to
safeguard at least 20 million people against the risk of poverty and social
exclusion. The increased participation of parents, and in particular women,
in the labour market reduces the risk of poverty throughout the lifecycle,
encourages the social inclusion of all members of the household and improves
children’s future prospects[10].
This is particularly important for groups in a vulnerable situation (single‑parent
families, Roma, migrants).

Investing in
quality childcare facilities for young children also means investing in the
construction of tomorrow's human capital. It gives each child a better start in
life and lays the foundations for success in terms of education, social
integration, personal development and later, fitness for work[11]. This is a social investment
with high potential.

Providing a quality service and universal
access to quality pre-school education has been identified as one of the
preventive policies to combat early school leaving[12], as also confirmed by the Council of the
European Union[13].

...if we are to achieve the objective of
equality between men and women

The participation of women in paid work is
linked to the distribution of family responsibilities between the sexes. Women
still adjust their working arrangements when they have children by taking
leave, by working part-time or by withdrawing from the labour market. This has
an impact on their pay and on their pension. The pay difference between women
and men remains intolerably high (16.2% per hour on average[14]) in the European Union. The
greatest differences can be observed in countries where there is little
provision of childcare facilities for young children[15]. The lack of promotion of
work-life balance policies in general and the lack of childcare facilities in
particular present a major obstacle to the economic independence of women and
their progression towards positions of responsibility[16].

...if we are to face the demographic
challenge head on

Finally, against the background of the
current demographic slowdown in Europe, the availability of childcare
facilities encourages people to plan a family. It transpires that the Member
States which currently have the highest birth rates are those which have also
done most to facilitate the work-life balance for parents and which have a high
rate of female employment.

3.           State
of play

In 2008, a first review[17] revealed that the demand for
formal systems of childcare was far from being met, in particular for children
under 3. It highlighted the high costs incurred by parents and the opening
hours of facilities, which were incompatible with full-time work. Five years
on, despite a slight improvement, the challenges remain.

Considerable improvements still need to
be made in the availability of services for children under 3

According to the European data[18], in 2010 only 10 Member States
(DK, SE, NL, FR, ES, PT, SI, BE, LU and UK) had achieved the Barcelona
objective for children under 3. Altogether 15 Member States were below 25% (see
figure 2). Availability was particularly poor in the Czech Republic, Poland and
Slovakia, where the rate of childcare was less than 5%. In most countries there
was a clear difference between urban areas and more rural areas and/or between
regions (e.g. in Germany and in Italy).

Between 2006
and 2010 the childcare rate for the under 3s increased slightly...

...from an EU average of 26% to 29%[19].
However, there were noticeable changes in some Member States, notably in France
where the childcare rate went from 31% in 2006 to 43% in 2010. This figure
should continue to rise owing to a significant plan to develop the provision of
childcare which aims to create 200 000 new childcare solutions between 2009 and
2012. Another noticeable change was in Slovenia (+8 percentage points),
probably linked to a 2008 amendment to the law on kindergartens which
introduced state­-funded childcare for second and subsequent children.

The diversified and decentralised French system combines individual and group childcare for the 0-3 age group. Professional childminders are the most popular form of childcare. Since its introduction in 1991, this form of childcare accounts for around one third of children under three whose parents both work. Parents who choose this form of childcare receive a monthly allowance which varies depending on the childminder’s status and remuneration, the child’s age and the household income. The childminder profession has evolved significantly over the years. The statutory number of hours of training has doubled and a contract with the parents is now compulsory. Regular health and safety checks are carried out. However, there are still some problems to overcome. It remains a profession that is not widely respected and low-income families sometimes think twice before using this type of childcare. Also, many || childminders will be retiring in the next few years. Number of places in 2010

Childcare in a group or home setting || Group day nurseries || 86 767

of which are company creches || 8 315

Drop-in day nurseries || 30 484

Kindergartens || 8 030

Mixed type childcare facilities || 177 984

With a childminder || 59 060

Number of childminders || 855 400*

- number of places in theory - Source: DREES 2012

For several
  years, the French public authorities have been encouraging private companies
  to finance staff nurseries. Also known as company crèches, they are opened
  and run by private companies, public enterprises or by hospitals to care for
  the children of their staff members.

Use of childcare facilities increases
with children's age

In 2010 for the category of children
between 3 and compulsory school age[20],
11 Member States (BE, ES, FR, SE, DE, EE, NL, SI, IE, DK and UK) achieved the
objective of 90% irrespective of the number of hours of attendance. In 2011
Italy also achieved the objective, but the childcare rate in Ireland, the
Netherlands and Spain declined noticeably, sinking below the objective of 90%.
In all, 13 Member States are below 80% and still need to make significant improvements.
Croatia and Poland are below 50% (figure 3).

The childcare rate for children between
3 and compulsory school age has remained fairly stable...

... in the EU, rising from 84% in 2006 to 86% in 2010[21]. This very slight average
increase hides more noticeable variations in countries where a combination of
measures has been introduced. In Luxembourg (+22 percentage points), maisons-relais
[childcare centres offering before and after school care for children up to the
age of 18] were introduced in 2005, the school system was reorganised in 2009
(the year the child turns 3, still optional, was integrated into the first
cycle of basic schooling) and childcare vouchers were introduced in 2009. In
Austria (+13 percentage points), a federal contribution to the expansion of the
number of nursery places (24 500 new places for children aged between 0
and 6 between 2008 and 2010) was implemented. Also, 20 hours of free childcare
per week, introduced in 2009, has had a positive influence on the childcare rate.
Between 2010 and 2011, there was a decline in the childcare rate in several
countries, in particular Romania (-25 percentage points), Spain (-9 percentage
points), Cyprus (-8 percentage points) and Ireland (-8 percentage points).

The childcare voucher
system (CSA) was introduced on 1 March 2009 in Luxembourg by the
Ministry of Family and Integration together with local authorities. It gives the holder 3 hours of educational
childcare free of charge per week. For the
next 21 hours of educational childcare, parents pay a heavily reduced rate of
at most EUR 3 per hour. This rate is
calculated on the basis of the household income and the position of the child
within the family. The system was introduced
in order to ensure maximum benefit for children at risk of poverty or living on
the edge of exclusion. For these children, the system offers more hours
of help per week during the school year and during school holidays.

In January 2011, 69.27%
of children aged 0-12 were enrolled in this system[22]. This
policy is accompanied by a constant increase in the number of childcare places,
including in childcare facilities for children of school age up to the age of
12.

A snapshot of the situation in the
Member States with regard to the Barcelona objectives in 2011

·
6 Member States had achieved both objectives:
Sweden, Belgium, France, Slovenia, Denmark and the United Kingdom.

·
In the next category, 7 Member States had
achieved one of the two objectives. These are Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands
and Luxembourg for the first age group and Germany, Italy and Estonia for the
oldest children.

·
3 Member States were about to achieve one of the
objectives. Finland had a childcare rate of more than 25% for the first age
group, Ireland and Austria had a childcare rate of 80% for the second age
group.

·
11 Member States still needed to make
significant improvements, in particular Poland, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania,
Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as well as Croatia.

Attendance is almost exclusively
part-time...

...in some of the countries that have
achieved the objective. The hours of attendance at childcare services vary
enormously from one country to another. In several countries the services are
used part time and do not cover a full working week. In the United Kingdom, the
Netherlands and Ireland the services are essentially used on a part-time basis
regardless of age group. It should be noted that, in some cases, attendance is
well below 30 hours per week. In the United Kingdom, for example, a significant
number of places are provided for less than 20 hours for the youngest children.
It is worth knowing that using these services on a part-time basis is either a
choice or a result of constraints. In the latter case, the lack of full-time
services could act as an obstacle to full-time employment, in particular for
single mothers.

Alternative strategies for looking after
young children...

...can be introduced. For this reason, the
relatively low childcare rate in some countries is not necessarily linked to a
penury of childcare services. For example, family leave rights can have an
impact on the demand for childcare for the youngest children. It is common in
the Nordic countries and in Slovenia for children to be looked after by their
parents during the first year, after which they are entitled to group
childcare. In other countries, the leave available is much longer and combined
with a penury of childcare services can have a negative influence on the
participation of women in the labour market. It is, therefore, essential, in
addition to providing childcare services in line with parental leave, to create
the possibility for fathers to take family leave.

Recourse to informal childcare[23] (provided in most cases by
grandparents) is significant in both age categories, but in the majority of
cases is had only on a part-time basis and cannot be a solution that allows
parents to work full-time. Also, the tendency to extend working life could make
the option of using grandparents more difficult.

Attitudes
vary in most countries depending on the age of the child

Day nurseries
and other formal childcare services are generally viewed positively for older
children, but positive perception is lower for very young children even if the
benefits of quality childcare for the development of children (in particular
those from underprivileged backgrounds) have largely been proven[24].
Figure 6 shows a certain reciprocity between the level of approval of the fact
that women with young children work full time, on the one hand, and the
childcare rate of the under threes in childcare facilities and the employment
rate of mothers, on the other. DK, FI, SE and SI combine a strong approval rate
with high childcare rates and high rates of employed mothers. Figure 6 also
shows disapproval rates of more than 50% for the Netherlands, Austria and
Estonia. Finally, although the full-time employment of young mothers is
generally approved of in countries such as Poland and Cyprus, the availability
of childcare services still needs to be developed to allow mothers to fulfil
their intentions on the labour market.

Cost is still an obstacle for a good
many parents

Formal childcare services for young
children are a way for parents to enter and/or remain in the labour market only
if they are financially accessible. However, 53% of mothers who declare that
they do not work or that they work part time for reasons linked to formal
childcare services[25]
consider price to be an obstacle. This figure is higher than 70% in Ireland,
the Netherlands, Romania and the United Kingdom.

The governments of most Member States
subsidise formal childcare services (in the form of direct grants,
income-dependent parental allowances, tax breaks, vouchers). Figure 7 shows
that the cost for families is still high, in particular in the United Kingdom
and in Ireland, where they account for 41% of net income in households where
both parents work. Also, the cost of these services has to be considered in
relation to the other social and fiscal policies that have an impact on family
incomes, as even with heavily subsidised childcare services there can be few
advantages for parents, and in particular the lower earner, to work if the work
is heavily taxed.

The cost of childcare services does not
have the same impact on high-income households as on low-income households...

...and the extent of the differences is
striking. In France, for example, 64% of households in the top income quintile
use childcare services compared with just 15% of households in the bottom
quintile. The situation is similar in other countries where the childcare rate
is significant, such as Belgium, Finland and Ireland, but also in countries
where the childcare rate is lower. Conversely, in Denmark the childcare rate is
very high among households in the bottom quintile, while in Sweden, Slovenia
and Germany use of childcare facilities is the same across all households[26]. It will not be possible to
achieve the Barcelona objectives without accessibility, including financial
accessibility, to childcare services for all social groups.

Priority criteria can also be a barrier...

...if there is a penury of provision, notably
for parents who do not work or are unemployed when precedence is given to
working parents and in particular to two-income households, thereby preventing
the second parent from returning to work.

In Belgium
(Flanders), demand for childcare places is greater than the supply. Structural measures have been introduced by the
Flemish Community to improve access to these facilities. A parental financial participation system (PFP) based on
income for (non)-subsidised group childcare or childminder services, which
already existed in the subsidised sector, has been introduced. Also, an official priority system has been
established in childcare facilities that work with the PFP system. 20% of places must be reserved for single-parent
families and low-income families (who in both cases are unemployed, or on
labour market inclusion programmes, etc.).

4.           Quality:
Still uneven across Europe

Perceived
quality remains a major factor for parents...

...although it is
not high on the list of factors that dissuade parents from using formal
childcare services for young children. It is a problem for 27% of people on
average in Europe, after cost (59%), availability (58%) and access–distance and
opening hours (41%)[27].

Measuring
quality: a vast field of study

Much work is
being done on the quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services
for young children in the EU.

In its
Communication on ECEC[28], the European Commission reiterated
the need to further improve access and to provide universal services. It listed
the key areas for quality, such as curricula, staff, governance and financing,
where public cooperation at European level could improve the accessibility and
quality of childcare services. At the invitation of the Ministers of Education[29], and within the framework of the open
coordination method, the Commission has recently introduced a thematic working
group of political decision-makers, university lecturers and ECEC practitioners
with the aim of establishing a European ECEC quality framework.

Among the
structural characteristics of the services, the size of the group varies on
average from 10 to 14 children for the 0-3 age group and from 20 to 25 children
for the 3-6 age group[30].
The ratio of staff to children is around 1:15 in most Member States, ranging
from 1:6 in Estonia to 1:21.5 in France for pre-school education[31].

Many
unqualified people still work in the sector

The educational
background of the staff of ECEC services varies enormously from one country to
another and ability requirements for auxiliary staff and assistants (who make
up to 40-50% of the staff) are often neglected even though research and
international policy documents recommend that at least 60% of staff should hold
a three-year post-secondary diploma[32].
Assistants (who often deal with personal care and contact with parents) are
likely to have little or no initial training and limited access to further
training, unlike the teaching staff (who work with the children), who are often
highly qualified and often benefit from these opportunities[33].

Working
conditions in the sector are still precarious...

...in most
countries. High staff turnover due to part-time or atypical contracts is common
and has a negative impact on the quality of service. Career prospects are very
limited and the sector does not convey the image of a provider of quality
employment[34].

The sector is characterised by a mainly
female workforce...

...with 2% to 3% being men, with the
exception of Denmark (8%). Experts agree that the number of men working in the
sector should reach 10% in order to combat gender stereotyping[35].

Denmark, where
ECEC services are integrated into the social protection system, is a pioneer in
the development of competencies for professionals working in the sector (pædagoguddannelsen). The generic approach[36]
(which qualifies students to work in a variety of educational settings and also
enables greater occupational mobility) and the recognition of previous
experience have helped attract more men to the ECEC sector in Denmark compared
with the other Member States of the EU.

Direct public financing makes for more
efficient management...

...by the public authorities, economies of
scale, better quality at national level, more efficient training of teaching
staff and fairer access than the system of paying benefits to parents[37].

In 2009, the share of spending allocated to
ECEC as a percentage of GDP was particularly high in Denmark, Sweden, the
United Kingdom and France, which were all above the threshold of 1% recommended
by experts[38].
However, this spending takes different forms and does not have the same impact
on the development and quality of the services.

Integrated systems seem to offer more
coherence...

...between
childcare structures and the rest of the education system, more resources for
the under 3s and better staff training[39].
The split model, under which childcare for young children (under the age
of 3) and pre-school education (up to compulsory school age) are separate, is
the most common in Europe. In other countries, the political decision-makers
have evolved towards a system where the provision for young children is integrated
into the education system, as in Latvia, Slovenia, England, Scotland and
Sweden, or into the pedagogical system in the wider sense, as in Finland. These
two models coexist in just a few countries (Denmark, Greece, Spain, Cyprus and
Lithuania). Integrating childcare services into a large entity requires a
unitary structure and a shared approach to access, subsidies, programmes and
staff. This results in greater financial efficiency[40]. It would appear to be
necessary to favour interaction between the care and the education of children,
even in a split system, if all their needs (cognitive, social, emotional and
physical) are to be met[41].

The
responsibility for developing ECEC policies is shared...

...in many countries
between central government and local authorities. One of the positive
consequences of decentralisation has been the integration of early childhood
education and care at local level and improved consideration of local needs.
Decentralisation can also engender certain risks. The delegation of powers and
responsibilities can accentuate differences in access and quality between
regions[42]. A systemic and more integrated approach to ECEC services at local,
regional and national level involving all the relevant stakeholders — including
families — is required, together with close cross-sectoral collaboration
between different policy sectors, such as education, culture, social affairs,
employment, health and justice[43].

5.           Achieving
the Barcelona objectives, a renewed commitment in the Europe 2020 Strategy

More than 10 years after they were adopted,
the Barcelona objectives have not been achieved by most Member States.
Furthermore, the situation is deteriorating in several Member States.
Significant improvements still need to be made to achieve a satisfactory level
of availability, especially for children under 3. Also, the cost of services is
still a significant obstacle for parents, as are opening hours, which are not
always compatible with their occupational commitments. Investment in quality
education and care services that are universal and accessible to all must be
continued. This effort must be made largely at Member State level. The
Commission is providing support on several fronts.

The development of childcare services
under supervision as part of the European Semester

Opening up access to the labour market and
to employment for a second wage-earner from the household thanks to suitable
tax incentives and the introduction of affordable, quality childcare services
was identified as a priority in the Annual Growth Survey[44]. Nine Member States (AT, CZ,
DE, HU, IT, MT, PL, SK, UK) have received a recommendation on the employment of
women and on the availability of childcare services in 2012. Seven of these
countries had already received a recommendation in 2011, while Malta and
Slovakia received one for the first time in 2012.

The Structural Funds are an important
lever

In the 2007-2013 period, it is estimated
that EUR 2.6 billion from the Structural Funds was allocated to actions aiming
to promote the employment and sustainable participation of women in the labour
market and a work-life balance, including measures to facilitate access to care
services for dependants. In addition, around EUR 616 million from the European
Development Fund was made available to Member States between 2007 and 2013 to
finance childcare infrastructures[45].
Almost all the Member States allocated resources to childcare services.
However, the total expenditure varies enormously from one Member State to
another depending on the budget available under the Structural Funds and the
current state of provision of services.

The ESF plays an important role in the
implementation and the functioning of institutional childcare services in Poland
under the Human Capital Operational Programme (HC OP).

Since 2012, one action with a budget of EUR
46 million has made it possible to cofinance (at 85%) projects involving:

-
support for the implementation and functioning of day nurseries and children’s
clubs, including covering childcare costs for the under 3s if at least one of
the parents returns to the labour market after a break related to the birth or
education of the children;

-
support for childminder services.

The first call for proposals will make it
possible to set up 171 day nurseries, 23 children’s clubs and 7 agreements for
the provision of services by a childminder. This measure is part of a wider
initiative for regulatory reform and enlargement of the type and quantity of
childcare services provided (Mulash programme).

There is a similar action to cofinance
projects related to pre-school education for children aged between 3 and 5
years with a budget of EUR 369 million.

The Commission continues to work with
social partners...

...who play a key role in the area of
work-life balance in cooperation with the public authorities.

The Commission will also strengthen
cooperation between its departments...

...working on policies relevant to ECEC (such
as justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, education and culture,
employment, social policy, health, etc.).

The Commission will continue to monitor
the Barcelona objectives...

...by helping the Member States to develop
their statistical capacity by improving data collection and refining the way
the use of childcare services is measured for the EU SILC survey, in particular
by collecting comparable information on the barriers to these services (cost,
unmet demand, etc.).

The Commission will continue to support
the Member States

·
Whenever necessary throughout the European
Semesters the Commission will continue to adopt specific recommendations
calling on the Member States to achieve the Barcelona objectives and to
maintain public investment despite the economic crisis.

·
When programming the European Funds, the
Commission will work together with the Member States to make full use of the
cofinancing options offered by the Structural Funds and other Community
programmes such as 'Erasmus for all', including during the next programming
period, for developing ECEC services and services for other dependent people,
staff training and improving service quality.

Developing
childcare services for pre-school children is not enough in itself to give
women and men free choice of how to best achieve a work-life balance and it
does not take into account the difficulties faced at different stages in life.
The Commission must therefore act:

·
by promoting a combination of measures to
achieve a work-life balance consisting of flexible working methods, a family
leave system and the availability of affordable, quality care services for
pre-school children as well as for pre-adolescent children outside school hours
and for other dependants;

·
by also encouraging the Member States to remove
barriers (including tax constraints) to occupational activity for women and to
encourage fathers to take on more family responsibilities, for example by
taking family leave in the same way as women.

This report reflects the Commission's own
commitment, within the limits of its competences, to supporting the achievement
of the Barcelona objectives and the development of affordable, accessible and
quality childcare services in order to eliminate the obstacles to parents'
participation in employment, to foster social inclusion and to promote equality
of opportunity between women and men.

[1]               In this report, the terms ‘childcare services’,
childcare facilities’ and ‘early childhood education and care (ECEC)’ are used
interchangeably.

[2]               http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/71025.pdf

[3]               COM(2010) 2020.

[4]               COM(2013) 83.

[5]               2011/C 155/02.

[6]               COM(2010) 491.

[7]               COM(2012) 614.

[8]               Between 1998 and 2008, the number of women (aged
between 20 and 64) in employment rose by 7.2 percentage points compared with
2.4 percentage points for men.

[9]               OECD (2012) ‘Closing the Gender Gap: Act Now’.

[10]             COM(2013) 778.

[11]             COM(2011) 66.

[12]             COM(2011) 18.

[13]             2011/C 191/01.

[14]             Eurostat, 2011 tsdsc340.

[15]             OECD (2012) ‘Closing the Gender Gap: Act Now’.

[16]             COM(2012) 615.

[17]             COM(2008) 638.

[18]             This measures the proportion of children cared for by
formal services such as those listed in the introduction.

[19]             EU25, in 2011 the childcare rate was 30% on average in
the EU 25 and 27.

[20]             Compulsory school age is 4, 5, 6, or 7 depending on the
Member State.

[21]             EU25. In 2011 the childcare rate was 86% on average in
the EU 25 and 27.

[22]             Ministry of Equal Opportunities, 2011.

[23]             This
means childcare by a childminder (who is not checked by an organised structure)
at the child’s home or that of the childminder, or childminding by
grandparents, other members of the family (other than the parents), other
parents, friends or neighbours.

[24]             OECD
(2012) Starting strong III.

[25]             Source : LFS ad-hoc module 2010 Reconciliation
between work and family life – 23% and 18% of mothers whose youngest child is
under 3 or between 3 and compulsory school age respectively work part time or
do not work for reasons related to childcare.

[26]             EU-SILC, 2010.

[27]             Eurofound 3rd EQLS 2012.

[28]             COM(2011) 66.

[29]             2011/C 175/03.

[30]             EGGE 2009.

[31]             SWD(2012) 373.

[32]             International Standard Classification of Education,
level 5.

[33]             CORE study for EC/DG EAC2011.

[34]             Eurofound 2012.

[35]             CORE study for EC/DG EAC2011.

[36]             As opposed to the specialist approach where
practitioners are trained and qualified to work with specific age groups in
certain types of establishment (e.g. day nursery, pre-school). CORE study for
EC/DG EAC2011.

[37]             OECD 2011 Doing Better for Families.

[38]             European Commission Childcare Network 1996 – Quality
targets in services for young children.

[39]             Kaga Y., Bennett J. and Moss P. (2010), Caring and
Learning Together, A Cross-national Study of Integration of Early Childhood
Care and Education within Education, Paris, UNESCO.

[40]             Eurydice 2009 – ECEC: Tackling social and cultural
inequalities.

[41]             COM(2011) 66.

[42]             OCDE Starting Strong II: Early Childhood Education and
Care.

[43]             Council conclusions on ECEC. 2011/C 175/03.

[44]             COM(2012) 750.

[45]             By the end of 2011, 74% of this budget had been
allocated to selected projects.