Privatization of Public Services: A Systematic Review of Quality Differences between Public and Private Daycare Providers

The aim of the investigation is to review and summarise research that examines differences in service quality between public and private kindergarten providers. The research question is: What are the documented quality differences between public and private (non-profit and for-profit) providers of kindergarten services for children aged 0-5 years?

The results show that a small majority of the studies suggest that public kindergartens offer higher quality than private kindergartens in terms of structural indicators, such as group size, staff-to-child ratio, and staff qualifications. Several studies show no quality difference between public and private kindergartens, and a few studies also suggest higher quality in private kindergartens.

The study uses a systematic literature review of 15 empirical studies comparing the quality of kindergarten services between public and private providers. Literature searches were conducted in databases such as Web of Science and SCOPUS. The analysis was performed qualitatively and thematically to assess empirical findings related to quality differences.

Brogaard, L., & Helby Petersen, O. (2022). Privatization of Public Services: A Systematic Review of Quality Differences between Public and Private Daycare Providers. International Journal of Public Administration, 45(10), 794–806.