Privatization of Early Childhood Education and Care in Nordic Countries

1 Introduction.- Introduction.- The Nordic Welfare Model.- The Share of Public, Nonprofit, and For-Profit Welfare Providers.- ECEC in the Nordic Countries.- Three Sets of Goals for ECEC.- Challenges Facing ECEC in the Nordic Countries: Demographic Changes, Accessibility, and Educational Approach.- Explaining Institutional Change.- Approaches to the Provision of Welfare Services.- The Three Actors in the Welfare Mix.- Public Provision or Privatization?.- The Welfare Sector as a Quasi-Market.- The Role of Nonprofit Providers as Part of the Welfare Mix.- The Remainder of This Book: ECEC From a Comparative Nordic Perspective.- References.- 2 Shared Roots—Private Initiatives Along Two Trajectories.- Introduction.- The Dual Trajectory of the ECEC System.- Trajectory 1: Charities Establish Children’s Asylums as Protectors from the Dangers of Streets.- Trajectory 2: Philanthropic Kindergartens and For-Profit Child Residential Homes for Wealthy Families.- The Merging of the Two Trajectories.- Fostering a Nordic ECEC Model Through Kindergarten Teacher Education.- Chapter Summary.- References.- 3 From the Fringes to the Heart of the Welfare State—Growth in ECEC Coverage.- Introduction.- Legislative Foundation.- Consolidation and Growth.- Full Coverage.- Chapter Summary.- References.- 4 Changes in the Role of Commercial and Nonprofit ECEC Providers—Deviations from the Nordic Welfare Model?.- Introduction.- Private Growth.- Explaining the Growth of Private Actors: Framework Conditions, Financing, and Public Debates.- Chapter Summary.- References.- 5 Reigning in Provider Diversity? Regulation, Steering, and Supervision.- Introduction.- Educational Promotion—The Rationale for State Steering.- National Policies Pursued in Terms of Regulation and Curriculum.- Securing Compliance—Supervision.- Soft Steering—Manuals and Evaluations.- Chapter Summary.- References.- 6 Does It Matter? Quality Differences Among Public, Nonprofit, and For-Profit Providers.- Introduction.- Theoretical Underpinnings of Different Ownership and Quality.- Quality of ECEC.- International Experiences: Quality Differences Among Public, Nonprofit, and For-Profit ECEC?.- Research in the Nordic Countries on Quality Differences Among Public, Nonprofit, and For-Profit Providers.- Chapter Summary.- References.- 7 Conclusions.- Introduction.- Why Private Growth in Nordic ECEC?.- How to Respond to Adverse Effects From Marketization? Nordic Attempts to Reign in Quasi-markets.- Governance Challenges in the Welfare Mix.- Why Diversity in Provision?.- A Nordic Dimension in ECEC Governance?.- References.