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Sachant que la question de la cohésion sociale se pose de plus en plus dans nos villes et qu'un ensemble de recherches s'accordent aujourd'hui pour conclure que le soutien social (informel) est probablement l'une des formes de soutien à la parentalité les plus universelles, cet article analyse le potentiel des crèches pour contribuer à deux objectifs distincts mais liés : le soutien social, comme un soutien aux parents, et la cohésion sociale, comme objectif sociétal. Les données empiriques comprennent des observations effectuées dans deux crèches à Gand et à Bruxelles, des entretiens collectifs réalisés avec des parents usagers de ces crèches, des entretiens collectifs avec les personnels de ces crèches et des entretiens collectifs avec des parents qui fréquentent avec leurs enfants un lieu de rencontre parents et enfants (ontmoetingsplaats) à Bruxelles. Les résultats conduisent à penser que les expériences de lieux de rencontre parents-enfants pourraient inspirer les équipes des crèches.

AbstractSocial support, as a complex, dynamic and multidimensional concept, has been studied extensively. However, a review of research publications on social support and parenting reveals that social work perspectives on social support are underdeveloped in the Social Sciences Citation Index. Social support is predominantly studied in relation to parental health, considering social support as a buffer against potential negative outcomes for children. This, in turn, legitimates extensive research on parents 'at risk'. Specific target groups have been questioned abundantly using social support measures, mainly consisting of self‐reports. We conclude that social support is studied as a predefined concept, lacking conceptualizations that encompass the actual enacted support in relation to the perspectives of both givers and receivers of support. Moreover, the focus on targeted groups ignores the experience of social support in more diverse populations in general services and in everyday life. Issues of reciprocity, diversity and multivocality are central to our appeal for social work perspectives truly encompassing the relational aspect of social support. The question whether, and to what extent, social workers (including practitioners, policy‐makers and researchers) should give attention to this relational aspect is discussed.

We conducted a study of changes in the availability, accessibility and enrolment of children from low‐income, single‐parent and ethnic minority families in early child care centres. The study was carried out in Brussels which offers unique possibilities to study accessibility in a context in which quality and costs are controlled across centres. A survey on access policies in 89 day care centres, and on 150 mothers regarding their search process, was complemented by two focus groups attended by centre directors. The results were compared with data from a similar study we conducted in 2005. The results show that while inequality in availability has remained, centre directors' awareness of social priority criteria has changed, resulting in a significant increase in the enrolment of children from single‐parent and ethnic minority families, and – to a lesser extent – an increase in the enrolment of children from low‐income families. The results support the hypothesis that policy measures, combined with support, can influence inequalities in enrolment rates.