Starting Strong II

by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

This review of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in twenty OECD countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States) describes the social, economic, conceptual and research factors that influence early childhood policy. These include: increasing women's labor market participation; reconciling work and family responsibilities on a more equitable basis for women; confronting the demographic challenges faced by OECD countries; and in particular, addressing issues of access, quality, diversity, child poverty and educational disadvantage. This publication outlines the progress made by the participating countries in responding to the key aspects of successful ECEC policy outlined in the previous volume, Starting strong (OECD, 2001). It offers many examples of new policy initiatives adopted in the ECEC field. In