Finding a suitable work/family life balance is a challenge that all parents face. Some people would like to have (more) children, but do not see how they could match that commitment with their employment situation. Other parents are happy with the number of children in their family, but would like to work more. Yet other parents who are happy with their family situation, may wish to work at different hours, or reduce hours worked to spend more time with their children. This book synthesises the finding of the 13 individual country reviews published previously and extends the scope to include other OECD countries, examining tax/benefit policies, parental leave systems, child care support, and workplace practices.

"...a good source for a socio-political analysis of OECD countries and comparative political hypothesis testing."

-Stan Silverberg, Catawba College 

"...a great way of helping students learn to read and interpret graphical data."

-Ken Wedding, author of The AP Comparative Government and Politics Examination: What You Need to Know, Second Edition

Chapter 1. Reconciling Work and Family Life in OECD Countries: Main Findings and Policy Recommendations
Chapter 2. The Demographic and Family Environment
Chapter 3. Parents in Employment - Achievements and Challenges
Chapter 4. Tax and Benefit Systems and the Work Choices by Parents
Chapter 5. Parental Leave to Care for Children
Chapter 6. Formal Child Care and Out-of-School-Hours Support
Chapter 7. Family-Friendly Workplace Practices
Bibliography