In particular, the provision of child care services is far more developed in France where, since the mid-1990s, preschool and after-school care services frequently cover - albeit imperfectly - the needs of full-time workers. Longer school days, combined with a comprehensive provision of out-of-school care services, make balancing full-time w'ork with family life much easier for many French families with school-aged children (Chapter 3). By contrast, in Germany most all-day primary schools provide no more than seven or eight hours of education and care, so most parents have to pick up their children in mid-afternoon.