The political economy of child care policy: contradictons in New Zealand and Canada

Abstract

In countries like New Zealand and Canada, often classified as ‘liberal’ welfare regimes, child care was historically viewed as a private matter of little concern to governments or employers. Nevertheless, early in the 20th century governments supported maternal care at home by providing tax relief to male-breadwinner families, but also established care and protection programmes for disadvantaged children. In the 1940s, both countries developed universal child allowances to help parents with childrearing costs. By the 1970s they were providing subsidies for early childhood education and care while continuing to offer income support programmes for disadvantaged parents caring for children at home (Baker, 2006; Kedgley, 1996; May, 1997; McClure, 1998).