ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the Scandinavian Model as seen from the local municipal level, to map the variation of social services distributed by local governments. It explores the forces and mechanisms constituting the differences that can identify both within and between the Scandinavian countries. The chapter explains the development and the distribution of day care services in the Scandinavian countries in more detail. Local government are free to choose the forms of day care services, and can in principle choose between two options; day care institutions or family day care. The provision of day care is not only dependent on the political priority decisions that take place in the local government allocation process, but also on the resources available. The provision of day care seem, to a large extent, to be a reflection of local government affluence and their ability to build and run day care services.
