Early Childhood Care & Education: International Perspectives

by Edward Melhuish; University of

• ISBN13: 9780415383684
• ISBN10: 0415383684
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-10-30
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Early Childhood Care and Educationis central to the lives of every family with young children. This insightful book investigates the unique approaches taken by different Countries to key issues such as; parental leave, childcare, and preschool services. By examining all of these options and the evidence around them, the authors are able to explain how best to provide for young children. Nine countries, including, China, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, UK and the USA, are considered. These countries all have very different policies and provision, and this book examines the ways that these countries are tackling early childhood services and how these services affect young children's experiences and development, for better and worse. The book will answer some of the recurring questions of childcare provision: How does a country cope with families' childcare needs? Is daycare detrimental to children? Does quality of childcare matter? Does childcare affect children with different home backgrounds differently? How can we best organize parental leave, employment regulations and childcare provision? This book fills a gap in providing up-to-date information in an area where rapid developments are underway and further changes are being considered. We need to better plan the future of early childhood services and preschool education in relation to children's development, as well as parental employment regulations. Through presenting the situation in various countries and allowing the comparison of alternative approaches, each reader would be able to see new possibilities that transcend the limited experience offered within their own country. Early Childhood Care and Educationis an essential read for anyone interested in both the future and alternative approaches to childhood services and pre-school education.

Table of Contents

List of contributors	p. vii
Introducing international perspectives on early childhood care and education	p. 1
Childcare in the United States: characteristics and consequences	p. 7
Policy and research on early childcare and education in Greece	p. 27
Policy and research on preschool care and education in the UK	p. 43
Children's and parents' needs and early education and care in Italy	p. 65
Policy and research on childcare in Sweden	p. 77
Early childhood care and education in Aotearoa-New Zealand	p. 95
Early childhood care and education in Israel	p. 115
Early childhood care and education: an Indian perspective	p. 133
Development of kindergarten care and education in the People's Republic of China since the 1990s	p. 151
An international overview of early childhood care and education	p. 179
Index	p. 179
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