Formal programs for the care and education of young children in Canada have a history that goes back almost 200 years, yet issues surrounding services for our youngest Canadians continue to be hotly contested as we begin a new century. In Canada, early childhood care and education are striking for their tremendous diversity on such key issues as curriculum, financing, and teacher education. The range of programs and philosophies can be overwhelming for parents, practitioners, academics, researchers, and policy makers alike.

Larry Prochner and Nina Howe reflect the variation within the field by bringing together a multidisciplinary group of experts to address key issues in the field: What programs are currently available and what are their origins? How are adults prepared for work in these programs? How do children within the programs spend their day? What policies guide the programs? How has the field reflected on itself through research? There are no simple answers, but the essays in this collection contribute to a creative reframing of the questions. The authors include psychologists, sociologists, historians, teacher educators, and social policy analysts.

Early Childhood Care and Education in Canada will be of interest to students, teachers, and researchers in child study, early education, policy studies, and history. With cutbacks to early education programs, a shortage of daycare spaces, and uncertainty about future levels of support, the time is ripe for a close examination of the services we provide for our youngest citizens.