Childcare policy, maternal employment, and the UK policy debate: examining the evidenceMISOC

Most OECD countries, including England, spend a significant amount of public money offering free or subsidised childcare, but many parents still cite the high cost of childcare as a barrier to work. To help families further, many countries have expanded, or are considering expanding, the generosity of their childcare subsidies. In England, the entitlement to free early education is set to double from 15 to 30 hours a week for 3- and 4-year olds of working parents from September 2017.

In this context, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the Research Centre for Micro-Social Change (MiSoC) at the Institute for Social and Economic Research are organising a conference bringing together national and international experts on childcare and its role in promoting parental labour supply to discuss how evidence can inform the current policy debate in England. Will the extended entitlement in England lead parents to work more? Are childcare subsidies an effective way of supporting parents, especially mothers, to return to work and help families with the cost of childcare? How else could these objectives be achieved?

Presented by:

Stefan Bauernschuster, Professor of Economics at the Universitat Passau (Germany) Elizabeth Cascio, Professor of Economics at Dartmouth University (US) Sarah Cattan, Senior Research Economist, Institute for Fiscal Studies Gillian Paull, Senior Associate, Frontier Economics Natalie Perera, Head of Research, Education Policy Institute

Date & time:

December 2, 2016 9:00 am - December 2, 2016 5:00 pm

Venue:

Church House Conference Centre - Dean's Yard, Westminster, London SW1P 3NZ

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