Child vulnerability: priority and responsibility

This chapter discusses the need for an evidence-informed process to develop criteria for priority setting in the childcare sector. If criteria, are not explicitly set, but choices have to be made, they will develop, and those which develop may not be appropriate. To illustrate how they develop, the authors consider the case for prioritising child-headed households for support. The authors also examine why the development of expedient, non-evidence-based criteria is a problem, through a discussion of two further examples from the childcare sector. Finally, we seek to initiate the discussion of how criteria should be set.