Perspectives in Child Care Policy

Abstract

Part 1: The importance of child care law and policy. Part 2 Laissez-faire and patriarchy: the main elements of the perspective some authors associated with the perspective rationale and underlying values criticisms of laissez-faire - empirical support, problems with the implications for policy, problems of rationale and underlying values the perspective in practice - laissez-faire in 19th-century English child care law, laissez-faire in the 1970s and 1980s in United States child welfare law, policy and practice note on the decline and defence of patriarchy references relevant to this perspective. Part 3 State paternalism and child protection: the main elements of the perspective some authors associated with the perspective rationale and underlying values criticisms of state paternalism and child protection - empirical suport, problems with the implications for policy, problems of rationale and underlying values the perspective in practice - paternalism and protection in English child care law and policy in the early 20th century, paternalism and protection in English child care law and policy in the 1970s references relevant to this perspective. Part 4 The modern defence of the birth family and parents' rights: the main elements of the perspective some authors associated with the perspective rationale and underlying values criticisms of the modern defence of the birth family and parents' rights - empirical support, problems with the implications for policy, problems of rationale and underlying values the perspective in practice - the defence of the birth family in English child care law and policy in the 1950s and 1960s, the defence of the birth family in child welfare policy in Australia in the 1970s references relevant to this perspective. Part 5 Children's rights and child liberation: the main elements of the perspective, some authors associated with the perspective, rationale and underlying values, criticisms of the children's rights and child liberation perspective - empirical support, problems with the implications for policy, problems of rationale and underlying values the perspective in practice - children's rights in Norway in the 1980s, other signs of the perspective in practice references relevant to this perspective. Part 6 Convergences and divergences: points of convergence between the four perspectives - the focus on children, the state and the blood tie, areas of convergence in the first three perspectives points of divergence between the four perspectives the understanding of child welfare the view of the family the origins of child care problems the role of the state the concept of rights the view of society and social problems.(Part contents)