This book provides a snapshot of early childhood education and care from 22 different countries.It offers insights into the development and history of early childhood in different countries, including economic and political transitions that lead to changes in early childhood provision and policy.

Susanne Garvis is Professor of Child and Youth Studies at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She is the leader of the funded Nordic Early Childhood Research Group (NECA) and currently works on national and international research grants around early childhood education and care.

Sivanes Phillipson is Professor of Education and Associate Dean International at the Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology. She is also the Routledge Series Editor for Evolving Families, and is currently working on a number of national and international grants on families and children education.

Heidi Harju-Luukkainen is adjunct professor at the University of Helsinki (Finland), associate professor at the university of Gothenburg (Sweden) as well as a senior analyst at the University of California, Los Angeles (USA). She has conducted research around Europe, USA and Saudi Arabia in more than 20 different research projects.

1. An introduction to Early Childhood Education and Care in the 21st Century: An international perspective (Susanne Garvis, Sivanes Phillipson and Heidi Harju-Luukkainen)
2. Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia: A historical and current perspective for way forward (Gerarda Richards, Susanne Garvis & Sivanes Phillipson)
3. Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada: Consistently Inconsistent Childcare Policy (Brooke Richardson & Rachel Langford)
4. Early Childhood Education and Care in Chile: An overview of preschool education (Macarena Silva)
5. Early Childhood Education and Care in Denmark: The contested issue of quality in children's everyday lives (Pernille Juhl)
6. Early Childhood Education and Care in Estonia: The organisation and reforms of preschool education (Tiia Õun, Aino Ugaste & Tiina Peterson)
7. Early Childhood Education and Care in Finland: Compassion in narrations of early childhood education student teachers (Antti Rajala & Lasse Lipponen)
8. Early Childhood Education and Care in Germany: Policy, key data, quality and pedagogical approach (Claudia M. Ueffing)
9. Early Childhood Education and Care in Greece: Looking back and moving forward (Maria Birbili & Ifigenia Christodoulou)
10. Early Childhood Education and Care in Iceland: The origin, influences, curriculum reforms, and possible paths (Kristín Dýrfjörð)
11. Early childhood Education and Care in Aotearoa/New Zealand: History and features (Gaye Tyler-Merrick, Joanna Phillips, Claire McLachlan, Tara McLaughlin, Karyn Aspden & Sue Cherington)
12. Early Childhood Education and Care in Norway: Cultural historical context, new regulations and perceived quality (Alicja R. Sadownik & Elin Eriksen Ødegaard)
13. Early Childhood Education and Care in Russia: Different contexts of the cultural-historical theory Igor Shiyan, Olga Shiyan, Alexander Veraksa & Nikolay Veraksa
14. Early Childhood Education and Care in Serbia: Current challenges and policies (Tijana Bogovac)
15. Early Childhood Education and Care in Singapore: Aspiring for holistic early learning (Sivanes Phillipson, Eugenia Koh, Salwa Sujuddin & Sharmini Mohamed Sharif)
16. Early Childhood Education And Care in South Korea: History, Current Trends and Future Challenges (Sojung Seo)
17. Early Childhood Education and Care in Sweden: The context of Swedish preschool (Pia Williams, Sonja Sheridan, Susanne Garvis & Elisabeth Mellgren)
18. Early Childhood Education and Care in Taiwan: The path to achieving high quality (Yvonne Yu-Feng Liu)
19. Early Childhood Education and Care in the Netherlands: A shift towards an integrated system aimed at enhancing children's development and learning (Pauline Slot)
20. Early Childhood Education And Care In Turkey (Senil Ünlü Çetin)
21. Early Childhood Education and Care in 21st Century: A unique global overview (Sivanes Phillipson, Heidi Harju-Luukkainen & Susanne Garvis)