Caring for Children and Older People - A Comparison of European Policies and Practices

Current debate is focused on the way we organise, finance and provide care for children and older people. Should day care for children be contracted out? Is a local approach the most beneficial for the organisation of social care? Should home help for older people be financed through an insurance? With increasing demand for services, most countries search for new ways of meeting need. Overall, trends point towards more pluralism in the welfare systems, where to a greater extent than before the state, voluntary organisations, for-profit organisations, employers and the family function as intrinsic parts of the institutionalisation of the welfare systems.
The welfare mix of each individual country does, however, depend on historical, cultural and political influences. Comparison of welfare systems therefore gives us an invaluable means to assess the welfare system of our own country. This book presents the social care systems for children and older people of seven countries, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, England, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. The book provides an overview of the historical development of the care policies, and the organisation, financing and provision of care for each country, as well as presenting a comparative analysis of the care systems.