An integrated approach combines the education and care of young children (early childhood education and care, or ECEC) in a holistic and coherent manner in order to support families in the ongoing relationships that exist between direct and indirect services that occur within the meaningful environments and experiences of early childhood. This type of approach utilizes a network of multiple services working together as interdependent dimensions within the field of early childhood. Young children and families are provided access to services that may include social welfare, child care centers/schools, family supports/agencies, employment/vocational services, and health services.

The traditional approaches to early childhood education define the education of the child and the [Page 742]care of the child as two separate sectors (i.e., state versus family) with separate ...