“The funding of early care and education programmes in Sweden, 1845–1943”.

The purpose of this study is to examine the funding of care and education programmes in the years 1845-1943, includingthe significance of donations,  inheritance  and fundraising events for the programmes.

Like previous Swedish and Anglo-Saxon research, this study confirms the importance ascribed to donations and testamentary gifts during the nineteenth century.  The free Swedish daycare facilities have, to a great extent, been dependent on donations and testamentary gifts. Conversely, fundraising events do not seem to have played an important role, as indicated by previous Swedish research. The study identifies changes over time in the finances of Swedish care and education programmes, and among other things shows that from 1845 to 1943 there was an increase in the municipal support.

The study is based on 24 care and education programmes  from larger  towns in   southern Sweden. Based on the annual  financial records  and auditor’s reports published in the years 1845-1943, the author analyses the general principles for  funding  and exceptions from  these principles to give a precise description of the finances of the programmes.

Westberg, J. (2011). “The funding of early care and education programmes in Sweden, 1845–1943”. History of Education: Journal of the History of Education Society, 40(4), 465-479.