Most developed countries are not content to leave provision of pre-school childcare to the market, and intervene, usually with the aims of supporting working families, reducing gender inequalities and improving outcomes amongst children. In the UK, the coalition government recently published proposals designed to improve quality and increase parental choice, but all political parties continue to look at their policies towards pre-school childcare.

As a contribution to this ongoing policy debate, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Institute for Social and Economic Research are organising a international conference focusing on what we can learn from other countries' approaches to universal pre-school childcare, and how spending on and provision of childcare in the UK compares to other OECD countries.

Confirmed Speakers:

• Michael Baker, Professor of Economics at the University of Toronto.
• Daniela Del Boca, Professor of Economics at the University of Turin and Director of CHILD (the Centre for Household, Income, Labour and Demographic Economics).
• Linda Richardson, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (Social Policy Division), OECD.
• Claire Crawford, Programme Director, Skills Sector at the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
• Mike Brewer, Professor of Economics at the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Director of the ESRC Centre for Micro-social Change.

The conference will also hear about a joint IFS-ESRC Centre for Micro-social Change project which aims to estimate the impact of the free entitlement for three and four year-olds on maternal employment and child development, and will conclude with a panel discussion on the implications for pre-school childcare and early education in the UK.

The event is organised by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the ESRC Research Centre for Micro-Social Change at the Institute for Social and Economic Research . We are grateful to the Economic and Social Research Council for funding the event.