These hearings transcripts present testimony before a congressional committee comparing early childhood education and care in the United States with that of other industrialized countries, focusing on all arrangements for children under compulsory school age. The opening statement from the committee chair, Senator James Jeffords, notes the linkage…

This document discusses research and thinking about several countries' experiences in providing early childhood education and services, and additionally, describes current early childhood education in the Australian states and territories. Following the first chapter's brief provision of background information about preschool education in…

Highlights survey responses of non-profit child care programs in the United States and Canada. Notes the following trends: (1) increasing demand; (2) increasing quality; (3) continuing staff shortages; (4) funding not increasing fast enough; and (5) increasing competition. Contends that center directors must deal effectively with these conflicting…

The apparently simple question of whether there are commonly accepted "best practices" for infant and toddler care leads to further questions regarding the nature of childhood and the impact of cultural values. This report reviews recent theory, training, and practice in the care of children outside their homes. Section 1 of the report…

This discussion compares Japan and the United States in terms of: (1) perceptions of children and childhood; (2) parents and parenting; (3) the preschool system; and (4) the social structure of child care settings. It is asserted that the most profound difference between Japanese and American perceptions of children may be that in Japan the…

This report presents the most recent salary and benefits data available for the U.S. child care workforce. Median level child care salaries are compared to the median salaries of other occupations. In addition, data for average wages of preschool teachers and child care workers are presented for each state, with information on wages available by…

This overview of the research on the educational outcomes of early childhood education and care focuses on issues and research of particular relevance to New Zealand. It explores the effects of early childhood education duration, type, and quality on the outcomes for children, comparing studies done in the United States and elsewhere to the…

Articles contained in this first issue of the journal "Child Resource World Review" present information from a worldwide network of day care professionals. Specifically, Alice Honig compares child care in different countries. Sherrie K. Akinsanya reports on stressful aspects of early schooling for children in Nigeria. Sue Owen discusses…

This book describes Italian experiences in providing early care and education, focusing on four cities--Milan, Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Pistoia--with outstanding city-run systems designed to serve children under 3 and their families. The book considers specific strategies or practices used, and interprets the significance of the Italian…

Noting that the United States is the only developed Western nation with no national child care, this videotape examines the need for high quality, affordable child care available to all families. Drawing on personal narratives of working parents overwhelmed with balancing work/family and child care needs/costs, the 50-minute video examines the…

This paper describes child care delivery in Sweden, compares aspects of the American and Swedish systems of child care, and identifies what each country can learn from the other. Focusing mainly on the Swedish system, the first section addresses such topics as (1) the role of the State and local districts in program planning and administration,…

This Kids Count report examines national and statewide trends in the well-being of the nation's children. The statistical portrait is based on 10 indicators of well being: (1) percent of low birth weight babies; (2) infant mortality rate; (3) child death rate; (4) rate of teen deaths by accident, homicide and suicide; (5) teen birth rate; (6)…