This project analyses the long-term developments of early years childcare and education from approximately 1840 till 1970. The main question this project aims to answer is: How can we explain the provision and use of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in the Netherlands between 1840 and 1970? This project contributes to the existing body of research and aims to shed new light on the early history of ECEC in the Netherlands through its focus on (1) the meso-level (ECEC organizations and the families in need of childcare), (2) intranational variation and local differences, (3) the gap between early years childcare and education. This project however also intends to move beyond a mere focus on institutionalized forms of ECEC by examining it in the broader context of the prevailing ideas, ideals and norms regarding ECEC and maternal employment in Dutch society as well as looking at the wide range of (informal) childcare arrangements and practices in all layers of Dutch society. To answer the main question the project is divided into four work packages: 1. Intranational variations and local differences in early years childcare and education 2. Variation within and between ECEC providers 3. Differences between early childhood education and early childhood care 4. Norms, ideals, rationales and ideas in societal debates (parliamentary, scientific and popular debates) on early years childcare and education

Supervisor

Prof. Dr. Ir. Tanja van der Lippe

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Utrecht University

Supervisor

Prof. Dr. Robert Vonk

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Utrecht University

Supervisor

Dr. Sarah Carmichael

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Utrecht University

PhD

S.H Vries

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Utrecht University

• History
• Institutional change
• SociologyHistory

• Economic and Social History
• Sociology

• Care

• Spillovers

• Facilitating work life balance

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This project applies a mixed-methods and comparative approach to analysing long-term developments in ECEC in the Netherlands.