Comparing the English and Korean marketised childcare systems in the context of promoting maternal employment
Article
Lloyd-Reichling, E. and Lee, S-H. 2025. Comparing the English and Korean marketised childcare systems in the context of promoting maternal employment. Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy. p. In press.
Authors | Lloyd-Reichling, E. and Lee, S-H. |
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Abstract | Governments in both England and Korea prioritise a comparable set of childcare policies and strategies to promote young children’s development and wellbeing and maternal labour market participation This paper compares the two marketised childcare systems and policies and their impact on family outcomes,, in the context of public policy aims to increase maternal employment . Despite Korean financial support for its childcare system being proportionally much greater than England’s, maternal employment rates in England far outstrip those in Korea. As our conceptual approach, we adopt Kagan’s (Kagan et al., 2016; Kagan with Landsberg, 2019) application of systems theory to childcare systems. Important aspects of these two marketised systems and their infrastructure appear to be operating inefficiently, impeding equitable access to high quality, sustainable provision. This evidence fails to relate, though, to lower maternal employment levels in Korea, where a lack of active labour market policies coupled with socio-cultural factors form additional barriers. Both countries may be close to tipping points in childcare policy development. Extending childcare support beyond working families and curbing market operations may need considering in England, while in Korea expanding high-quality universal childcare support through public and not-for-profit providers and family friendly employment policies require addressing. |
Journal | Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy |
Journal citation | p. In press |
ISSN | 2169-9763 |
2169-978X | |
Year | 2025 |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Accepted author manuscript | License File Access Level Anyone |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 29 Apr 2025 |
Deposited | 29 Apr 2025 |
Copyright holder | © 2025 The Authors |
https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/8z6vy
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Accepted author manuscript
Eva Lloyd and Sung-Hee Lee - Comparing the English and Korean childcare systems in the context of promoting maternal employment.pdf | ||
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 | ||
File access level: Anyone |
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