Starting Strong: Early Childhood Education and Care (Agriculture and Food)

Improving the quality of, and access to, early childhood education and care has become a major policy priority in OECD Member countries. The early years are increasingly viewed as the first step in lifelong learning and a key component of a successful educational, social, and family policy agenda. Countries have adopted diverse strategies to policy development in this field - strategies which are deeply embedded in particular country contexts, values, and beliefs. In particular, early childhood policy and provision are strongly linked to cultural and social beliefs about young children, the roles of families and government, and the purposes of early childhood education and care within and across countries. Yet, countries share many similar challenges and issues. Taking a broader and more holistic approach than previous studies, this book provides a comparative analysis of major policy developments and issues in 12 OECD countries, highlights innovative approaches, and proposes policy options that can be adapted to varied country contexts. What are the most promising strategies for organising policy in ways which promote child and family well-being? Looking towards the future, the report proposes eight key elements of successful policy for decision makers seeking to promote equitable access to quality early childhood education and care. Recognizing that cross-national information and analysis can contribute to the improvement of policy development related to quality early childhood education and care (ECEC), the Education Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) launched the Thematic Review of Early Childhood Education and Care Policy in 1998. Twelve countries participated in the review: Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This publication provides a comparative review and analysis of ECEC policy in all 12 participating countries, with policy lessons for OECD member countries. Using the information collected in the background reports, country notes, review visits, and expert meetings, this comparative report documents the range of existing ECEC policies and provisions cross-nationally and draws out common themes and issues for comparative analysis. Rather than comparing or ranking countries, the report analyzes the nature of and reasons for similarities and differences in policy approaches across participating countries, and identifies some of the possible implications of the analysis for policymakers. Following the introductory chapter, chapter 2 discusses the main demographic, economic, political, and social trends and issues that have shaped the development of current ECEC policy. Chapter 3 explores the main policy developments and issues concerning ECEC that have emerged throughout the review and highlights innovative approaches to address policymakers' concerns. Chapter 4 identifies the major policy lessons from the review, focusing on eight key elements of successful ECEC policy, such as a strong and equal partnership with the education system and a participatory approach to quality improvement and assurance. The report concludes with a discussion of key policy challenges and directions for the future. Six appendices include an overview of the ECEC systems found in each of the 12 participating countries, statistical tables, questions guiding preparation of the background report, and a list of members of review teams. (Contains 112 references.) (KB)