Child-care: the changing boundaries of family, economy and state

The purpose of this article is to outline and analyse the policies and prac tices that are now being developed throughout the UK in the area of child-care related to work. A growing recognition of the role of child care in economic development by employers and economic regeneration agencies is identified and an evaluation attempted of the extent to which these represent significant shifts in the boundaries between state, family and market. The article also attempts to examine the impact of work- related child-care and family-friendly policies on women's economic independence and directs attention towards the very different experience for high and low paid workers, before highlighting alternative strategies which could produce clearer labour market rewards for all women and their families.