ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the evolution of care for early childhood and dependent elderly people in public policy issues over the last fifteen or twenty years are; since the 1980s, developments in these fields have been rather different. Since the beginning of the 1970s, the family fund within the social security public authorities has made real efforts to promote an active policy in the field of early childhood care, and notably care for the under 3s. The socialist government also promoted the creation of 'emplois familiaux' in the employer's home. The policies of Beregovoy's socialist government were consolidated and developed during the right wing Balladur government. The clear preferential treatment given to regulated family-based childcare has resulted in strong anti-redistributive effects in the field of childcare. The pressure on public expenditure has risen and in spite of frequent new measures for limiting or lowering social protection, the social security deficit has remained at over 50 billion francs per year since 1993.
