The debate about childcare in Ireland is not really a debate at all because, as usual, it is dominated by one side, namely those who want a State-subsidised universal day-care system available to all. To this end, they heavily promote the ‘Nordic model’. In doing so, however, they fail to distinguish between different Nordic models.
Basically, there is a Finnish model and a Swedish model. Both provide very affordable day-care to parents, but after that there is a very big difference, because while the Finnish model also supports and subsidises home-care, the Swedish model very consciously does not. The Swedish State wants all children above the age of one in day-care. It thinks this is best for children, best for women and best of the economy.
This article [1] by Jonas Himmelstrand (a former Iona Institute speaker) outlines the differences between the two models.
As he explains, in Finland the State offers parents a sum of €340 per month per child under three if they wish to look after their children at home.
According to Himmelstrand, Norway and Denmark also support home-care which leaves Sweden as the outlier.
The home-care allowance is very popular with Finnish parents. Whereas in Sweden 92 percent of two year olds are in day-care, in Finland the figure is only 52 percent, a 40 point difference.
These are the sorts of facts and figures our politicians need to consider when devising child-care policy. The danger is that they will end up adopting a Swedish model of day-care without giving any thought to the fact that in Scandinavia, the Swedish model is the exception.