Along with the Nordic countries, France leads the European Union in public childcare provision and benefits aimed at reducing child care costs for families. It has also widely been recognised that the French childcare system has many strengths. In recent years, however, in the context of economic uncertainties, policy makers have been confronted with new tensions and dilemmas. While France has continued over the last decade to progressively consolidate and enhance its promotion of policies to support the work/family life balance, the introduction of new laws in the domain of early childhood education and care has mirrored the growing hold of employment policies over childcare policies.
