In this study, we reconstruct the types of work performed by early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals working with children up to three years of age from an interactional perspective. The theoretical framework of the investigation is social organization of work defined by Strauss and colleagues in regard to medical sector. Analysis…

In order to understand the influence of the pandemic on young children (aged six and under) and their caregivers, a consortium of partners commissioned this study to learn from impacts and actions taken in response to early childhood development (ECD) during Pandemic. The objective was to focus particularly on the disruptions related to the…

Children's early interactions with adults during the first three years of life are instrumental in the development of their language, cognitive, and social skills, which in turn are strongly related to later achievement and success into adolescence. Early childhood professionals working with infants and toddlers need to understand children's…

Background: Early childhood development (ECD) is pivotal in addressing educational inequality and reducing income disparities in South Africa. Government initiatives to integrate ECD into the education system underscore a positive trajectory. Aim: This study assesses the impact of relocating ECD to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in South…

Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.2.1 is monitored by determining the proportion of children aged 24 to 59 months who are developmentally on track in the domains of health, learning, and psychosocial well-being. UNICEF has developed a caregiver report measure, the Early Childhood Development Index 2030 (ECDI2030), to measure progress towards…

The early childhood development (ECD) sector in low- and middle-income countries continues to be under-valued and under-funded. Birth to 3 is further marginalised in this constrained informal sector. The feminised workforce experiences economic and social injustices in an under-developed human resource system. The aim of this article is to engage…

There is more to know about children's play and learning in public spaces, including the long-term benefits of exposure to established play spaces such as children's museums. Nested within an 18-month mixed-method longitudinal study, this qualitative descriptive study sought to understand how children aged three to five years develop and learn…

This qualitative study explored caregivers' perceptions of factors influencing early childhood development in low-income, urban South African settings, from a social ecological perspective. Individual interviews were conducted with 15 caregivers of 3-5-year-old children; a reflexive thematic analysis approach was adopted. In the family and home…

Background and aims: Caregiver-delivered programs are a recommended best practice to support young autistic children. While research has extensively explored children's outcomes quantitatively, minimal qualitative research has been conducted to understand caregivers' perspectives of program outcomes for themselves and their children. Hearing…

This article introduces a theoretical study about convergent and divergent aspects between the concepts of education and early childhood development. This, set up from a social and educational approach, based on a in-depth theoretical review. The beliefs of children's parents and caregivers are highlighted as a significant aspect on children's…

In this article, the association between parental and professional caregivers' perceptions of early life stress (ELS) and the level of preschool social participation was examined, as was the possible moderating effect of parental health. In a community-based study, both parents and professional caregivers of 346 children aged 3 years provided…

Research Findings: Children that experience neglect are at risk for maladaptive outcomes. One potential resource for these children is early childhood education (ECE), but there is currently limited evidence which is compounded by data limitations. This study used data from the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-being II (N = 1,385) to…

Early care and education (ECE) experiences shape children's developmental trajectories, particularly for children who have or may have disabilities. However, caregivers of children with disabilities have faced considerable challenges finding care for their children, which have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using survey data from nearly…

Half of all infants and toddlers receive care in nonparental settings, such as centers and family child care (FCC) homes. On average, infants and toddlers spend more hours per week in care than preschoolers do. Yet infant-toddler care has been identified as lower quality than care for older children, suggesting that professional development (PD)…

Swedish leisure time centres (LTCs) are included in the Swedish Education Act and are used by almost every pupil in the age range of 6--9 years. They are governed by national policy documents with a certain emphasis on social learning. This article aims to highlight the LTC staff's perspectives on their work of promoting social learning in the…