Early years policy in England is at a turning point. There has perhaps never been more political attention on the sector, with growing sentiment from parents that existing provision does not serve their needs. This briefing lays out existing evidence for the benefits of early education, including inequalities in access to existing entitlements, how many hours children are likely to benefit from, and potential changes that would help to widen access. It also looks at evidence on qualification levels of staff, additional support required for the most disadvantaged children, and the role that children's centres can play in enabling families to aid with their children's learning outside of formal early years settings. Overall, it provides a summary of existing evidence on the early years, and in particular the policies which are likely to benefit the life chances of children from poorer homes.