Day Care for Children in Need: Universal Provision or a Targeted Service?

Abstract

This paper is concerned with local authority provision for a particular group of children, those considered to be ‘in need’ and aged under 5, in the context of the debate about universal versus selective services. It explores the provision of early childhood services, in particular day care, within the framework of welfare policies and the concept of need. After outlining the development of day care policy in Britain the paper considers how, within the current policy of targeting day care on children ‘in need’, local authorities might attempt to make provision available to a wider range of families, in line with the messages from current research that more emphasis needs to be placed on services to support families at an early stage rather than intervening later only when their needs are acute. It concludes that local authorities need to adopt a strategic and coordinated approach to early childhood services, working with other agencies and local communities, to ensure that a range of services are available to support children and families at different levels of need.