Childcare, early education and social inequality: an international perspective

Abstract

The book provides a unique scientifc contribution on the topic of early childcare education and care (ECEC) and its implication for child development and social inequality. It sheds light on the complex link existing between social background and ECEC attendance pointing out that higher-social background would allow parents to choose the optimal timing and intensity of ECEC attendance for their children. The 11 studies in the volume provide support of the existence of positive effects of high-quality ECEC on child cognitive development, especially among low social-background families. Yet, the book concludes that formal childcare can only have a limited impact on social inequality, because the largest part of child outcomes variation is due to home environments.