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 
Date: 2013-05-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: access to education, child care, early childhood, economic growth, female work, gender equality, job creation, population forecast, pre-school education, social facilities, teaching quality

ra 

EUROPEAN 

COMMISSION 

Brussels, 29.5.2013 

COM(2013)322 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE 

COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITľEĽ AND THE 

COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

The development of cliildcare facilities for young children in  Europe with a view to 

Hůrce]ona objectives 

sustainable and inclusive growth 

{S\VD(2013) 192 final) 

EN 

EN 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Introduction 

Achieving the Barcelona objectives: A necessity 

State of play 

Quality: Still uneven across Europe 

Achieving the Barcelona objectives, a renewed commitment in the Europe 2020 

Strategy 

3 

4 

5 

12 

15 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

2 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE 

COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE 

COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

The development of cliildcare facilities for young children in  Europe with a  view to 

sustainable and inclusive growth 

Barcelona objectives 

L. 

INTRODUCTION 

The availability  of  high  quality, affordable childcare facilities for  young children  from 
birth  to compulsory school  age1   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 7c  of children  between 3 years old and  the mandatory  school age  and at 
least 33 % of children under 3 years of age2". 

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 . 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 inequalities4. 

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 

men5,  the  provision  of  childcare  facilities  at  European  level in  2010  was still  mit  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  ils  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  2010-20156,  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 

In  Ihis  report,  lhe  lerms  'childcare services',  childcare  facilities'  and  'early  childhood  education  and 

care (ECEC)' are  used interchangeably. 

http://www.consilium.curopa.eu/ucdocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec771025.pdf 
COM(2()t 0)2020. 

COM(20I3) 83. 

2QII/C 155/02. 

CQM(20I0) 491. 

3 

and  challenges  faced  by  Member  States  in  developing  their childcarc  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 boards7,  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 TIIĽ 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 women8. Reconciliation policies  are essential to promoting the  employment of 

women. 

Figure  1 - Rates of employment (women and men aged 20-64) in the 

Member States of the European Union 

•  Men  2010 

•  Men 2011 

Women 201D 

O Women 2011 

75% 

* 

[í  Г Ш Е  

> 

f 

? 

I U I  

90,0 

80,0 

70,0 

60,0 

50,0 

40,0 

30,0 

20,0 

10,0 

0.0 

—  0 

-  Ë 

• <  z  E  £ 

Snurre: Eurostat LPS 20¡0  - 204 

Noteį. breuk ii ι he time series for NL in 2010 anil for  ГТ in 2011 

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 women9. 

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, 

C()M(2(JI2) 614. 

Between  1УУ8  and 2008,  lhe number  of  women (aged  between 20 and  64)  in employment  rose by  7.2 

percentage points compared with  2 4 percentage  points for men. 

OECD (2012) 'Closing the Gender Gap: Act  Now'. 

4 

encourages  the  social  inclusion  of  all  members  of  the  household  and  improves  children's 

future  prospects"1.  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  tenns of education,  social  integration, personal  development and 
later, fitness for work1 1. This is a social investment wilh 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  leaving12,  as  also 
confirmed by the Council  of the European Union1 3. 

...ΙΓ we are lo 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 average1 4)  in the European  Union. The greatest 

differences can be observed  in countries  where there  is little provision of childcare facilities 
for young children1 5. 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 responsibility16. 

...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  review1 7   revealed  that  the  demand  for fonimi  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. 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

IS 

16 

17 

CUM(2() 13)778. 
COM(2() 11 ) 66. 

CC)M(20II)  IH. 

2011/C 191/01. 

Eurostat. 2011 tsdsc340. 
OECD (2012) 'Closing lhe Gender  Gap: Act  Now' 

COM(2012) 615. 

COM(2Q08) 638. 

5 

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

children under 3 

According to the European datal x,  in 2U1Ü 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). 

Figure 2: Percentage of children under 3 cared for in formal structures 

(and, for information, hy the ainout of time spent there  per week) 2010-

2011 

30 hours 
_ or more 
•  1  to 29 
hours 

-total 2011 

JL 

^ Jī m r ī ī ī ī ī ī r l l l !  

rill 

α PL  SK  BG  RO  EL  ATHu  MT  LT  LV  DE  EE 

IT  C£U27  Fl 

IE  UK  BE  LU  PT  SI  ES  FR  NL  SE  DK 

HR  CH 

,s  NO 

90 
80 
70 
60 
50 
40 
30 
20 
10 
0 

Soun e: Eurostat -EU-SILC 2010· 2011 

Son¡e of lhe data lune been compiled (rom inutil samples aiul are statistically uiti liable, including lhe lotais for: AT. Il(!. 
СУ  CZ EL  HR. LT. SÍ T  PL RO, SK. 

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

...from  an  EU average  of  26% to  29%1 9   However,  there were  noticeable changes in  some 

Member Stales, 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. 

This  measures  the  proportion  of  children  cared  for  hy  formal  services  such  as  those  listed  in  the 
introduction. 
EU25, in 2011 the childcare rate was 30% on average in the ĽU 25 and 27. 

14 

EN 

EN 

The  diversified  and  decentralised  French  system 

childminders will be  retiring in  lhe next few years. 

combines  individual  and  group  childcare  for  lhe  0-3 
age group. 

Professional childminders are lhe most popular form of 
childcare. Since  ils  introduction  in  1991. this  form of 

childcare  accounts  for  around  one  Ihird  of  children 

under  three  whose  parents  both  work.  Parents  who 

choose  this  form  of  childcare  receive  a  monthly 
lhe 
allowance  which 

depending 

varies 

on 

childminder s  slalus  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  lhe  parents  is  now  compulsory.  Regular  health 

and  safety  checks  are  carried out.  However,  ihcre  are 
to  overcome,  ll  remains  a 
still  some  prohlems 

profession that  is not  widely  respected and  low-income 

families  sometimes think  twice  before  using  this  type 

of childcare. Also, many 

Number of  places in 2010 

Group day nurseries 

86 767 

of which are company 
crcehes 

Ä  J/J 

Drop-in day nurseries 

30 484 

Kindergartens 

8 030 

Mixed type childcare 
facilities 

177 984 

With a childminder 

59 060 

Childcare 
in a group 
or home 
setting 

Number of childminders 

855 400* 

• number 

places in ¡henry  Saune: DREES 2012 

For  several  years,  lhe  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  age2 0,  II  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). 

Compulsory school age is 4, 5, 6, or 7 depending on the  Member Stale. 

EN 

7 

EN 

Figure 3: Percentage of  cliildreii between 3 and compulsory school 

age cared for in formal structures (and, for information, the  time 

spent there  per «eek) 2010 - 2011 

•  30 hours or 

more 
• 1 to 29 
hours 

-total 2011 

Source: Eurostat- EV-SILC2010  -  201! 

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

fairly stable... 

. . . i n  l h e  E U ,  r i s i n g  f r o m   8 4 %  i n  2 0 0 6  t o  8 6 %  i n  2 0 1 02 1.   T h i s  v e r y  s l i g h t  a v e r a g e   i n c r e a s e  

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 2!  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 system22.  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. 

EU25. In  2011  the childcare rate was  86% on average in the  FU 25  and 27. 

Ministry of Equal  Opportunities, 2011. 

8 

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

in 2011 

•   6  Member  States  liad  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. 

A  (C  CF 

io 

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Both c' th# objective·  j  φ 

•chieveđ 

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Barcelona target 

for second age 

category : met 

so 

90 

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BEUtUl. 

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Barcelona target for first age category : met 

es 

Non· oí tħ· objectives 
etbiBfí 

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RO 

Figure 4 - Formal child care by duration and age group 2011 

Children cared for as a percentage of all children in the same age group 

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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 arc 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... 

EN 

EN 

...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 lor childcarc 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 

childcarc services in line with parental leave,  to create the possibility for fathers to take family 

leave. 

ligure 5: Maternity leave, paternity leave and parental leave  at 

a replacement 

rate of at least 2/3 of pay. Total leave  in months, 

2010 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

0 i u u j u j 0 > n >:* : r : t r r ii£u ,^i  

I I I I I I I I I .  

ce  >-  új —'  —j  —» 
u.  U o ľ J Z <  3 

t— 

Saune : European Commission's Expert Group on Gender and 

Employment issues -  EGGE 2010 

Recourse  to  informal  childcare2 3   (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  proven2 4   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 childcarc  rate of  the under  threes in  childcarc 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. 

This  means  childcare  by  a childmindcr  (who  is  not  checked  by  an  organised  structure)  at  the  child's 

home  or  that  of  the childmindcr, or  childminding by  grandparents, other  members of  the  family  (other 

than the parents), other parents, friends or neighbours. 

OECD (2012) Starting strong III. 

10 

Figure 6  - (I) Is )a ppm val of the  fact that a  «uman with a child under 3 

works full  time 

100% 

90% 

80% 

70% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0% 

= Approve 

Neutral 

•  Disapprove 

I I I  

II 

EE DE ATGBHU5K BG IE  NLEUFRPTES SESI  PL BE CY f  I  DK 

CHNO 

Sourie: European  Social Suivey2006A)7 

Note: Here,  EU t omsponds lo lhe average between 20  Member Slates 

Cost Is still an obstacle lor a good many parents 

Formal childcare services for  young children are a way  for parents lo 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 services2 5  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. 

U 

Source : L.FS  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  respeciively  work 
part time or do ni>t  work for reasons  related  to childcare. 

11 

Figure 7 - Childcare costs Incurred by  parents 

as a % of  the average wage - 2008 

• Chikfcaie fee 

• Chikteate benefits 
- №t Cost 

• Tax reductions 
O % of  nel farnih/ income 

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~  Σ  O 

Source: OECD [20 ¡U  Doing Better  for  families, figure  4.Λ2Ί  A . 

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 childcarc 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  households211.  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  lhe  supply. Structural  measures  have  been 

introduced  by  the  Flemish Community  lo  improve  access  to these  facilities. Λ  parental  financial  participation 

system  (FFP)  based  on  income  for  (non)-subsidised  group  childcare  or  childmindcr  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 musi 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... 

EU-SILC, 2010. 

12 

-..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%)2 7. 

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 

, 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  , 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 
group1 0   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 education3 1. 

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)  arc  often  neglected  even  though  research  and  international  policy 

documents  recommend  that  at  least  60% of  staff  should  hold  a  three-year  post-secondary 

diploma ".  Assistants (who often deal with personal  care and contact  with parents) arc 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 opportunities3 3. 

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 employment3 4. 

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". 

27 

28 

V> 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

ii 

Eurofound 3rd  LŲLS 2012. 

COM(2(lN)66. 

2011/C 175/03. 

ĽGGE 2009. 

SWD(20I2) 373. 

International Standard Classification of  Education, level 5. 

CORE study for EC/DC.  ЕЛС2011. 

Eurofound 2012. 

CORE study  for ЕС/DG EAC2011. 

13 

Denmark, where ECEC services arc integrated into the social protection system, is a pioneer 

the  development  of  competencies 

sector 
in 
(pædagoguddannelsen). Tlie  generic  approach'6  (which  qualifies students  to  work  in  a  variety  of  educational 

for  professionals  working 

the 

in 

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  ĽU. 

Direct  public lina nei tig 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". 

Figure H:  I*ulïlic spending on early childhood education and care as  a %  of 

GDI» 2009 

Spending on pre-school education as a  % of GDP (»3-6 ans) 

Spending on childcare for  young children as a %of  GPD  (=0-3 ans) 

1 
i/i  — 
1  IU  "I Q  r —  _1υ<α.ωι/>υΰ. 

*§ 5  

Source: OECD Family datábate, Indicator PF3.1 (2009) 

Xote  I: CT re/en to Southern Cyprus only. Sote 2: Figures for Spain cannot he disaggregated 

ta: ir oem)for.famŁei Uth child* n p mc-p&UĮ mfomd áyeat tervien (eg eriche*. dq> caie centrei artifard? dar edł 
for chixber. ¡moer T, arxpreich&l insonni«» (imhiir^ toder  [ertem arddqbort cerere: vhiih wualfr previde an 
eJueatrnwx atn*oi+ at »tű ait*aeitie*ül»»eft* thìJroi 

J ta S. tnakalvt). 

uninm »'»m'iíAi лВ(и Afť/imMi η 

(ninth, m- br*f лг itmi ig f ih» 

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 \% recommended by experts*8. 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  training5 9.  The split  model,  under  which  childcare  for  young 

children  (under  the  age  of  3)  and  pre-school  education  (up to  compulsory school  age) are 

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. 

OECD 2011  Doing Detter  for Families. 
European Commission Childcare  Network 1996 - Quality  targets in services for young children. 
Kaga  Y.,  Dennett  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. 

14 

separale, 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  efficiency4 0.  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 met4'. 

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 regions4 2. 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 
justice4 3. 

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  arc  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 Survey4 4. 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 rcccived a recommendation in 2011, while Malta and Slovakia  received 

one for the first time in 2012. 

The Structural Fuuds 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 

Eurydice 2ÍKJ9 - ECEC: Tackling social and  cultural inequalities. 

COM(2011 ) 66. 

OCDE Starting Strong II: Early Childhood Education and  Care. 

Council conclusions on  ECEC. 2011/C 175/03. 
C0M(2()12) 750. 

15 

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 20Ü7 and  2013 to finance 
childcare  infrastructures45.  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. 

Hie LSF plays an  importan! role in  «he implementation  anil lhe  functioning of  institutional childcare serv ices in 

Toland 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  childmindcr.  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 projeets related  to pre-school education for children aged  between 3 and 5 

years with a  budgel 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 all1,  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 lhe end of  2011,74% of this  budget had  been allocated to selected  projects. 

EN 

16 

EN 

•   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. 

17