Comparing ECEC and social innovation across welfare regimes: Key lessons to move towards universalisation

In this conclusive chapter, the authors summarise the main findings of the book by reviewing the empirical evidence of the seven cases of social and policy innovation in ECEC analysed and by comparing them in the context of their respective welfare regimes. The authors then review the risks of social innovation as well as the challenges for ECEC policy and for institutionalisation dynamics. The authors identify the factors that help understand the role of social innovation within the context of welfare state retrenchment and discuss implications in terms of the capacity of social initiatives to address social inequalities. The case of Barcelona, together with the other cities presented in this book, helps to understand how public bodies have innovated in ECEC policies by learning from social innovation and how they have become more capable of tackling the diversification of needs among citizens.