Comparing the English and Korean marketised childcare systems in the context of promoting maternal employment

Abstract Governments in both England and Korea prioritise a comparable set of childcare policies and strategies to promote young children’s development and wellbeing and maternal labour market participation. This paper compares the two marketised childcare systems and policies and their impact on family outcomes in the context of public policy aims to increase maternal employment. Despite Korean financial support for its childcare system being proportionally much greater than England’s, maternal employment rates in England far outstrip those in Korea. As our conceptual approach, we adopt Kagan’s (Kagan et al.; Kagan with Landsberg) application of systems theory to childcare systems. Important aspects of these two marketised systems and their infrastructure appear to be operating inefficiently, impeding equitable access to high-quality, sustainable provision. This evidence fails to explain, though, lower maternal employment levels in Korea, where a lack of active labour market policies coupled with socio-cultural factors form additional barriers. Both countries may be close to tipping points in childcare policy development. Extending childcare support beyond working families and curbing market operations may need considering in England, while in Korea expanding high-quality universal childcare support through public and not-for-profit providers and family-friendly employment policies requires addressing.