Early childhood education has been recognized as a crucial component to later success in schooling and life. While this has been established through research and recognized in public policies, it is not yet fully realized in the structure of the education system. From birth through age 8, educational programs and formats vary greatly for young children and are not aligned with the education system. This is evident in the diverse early childhood programs and schedules that are part of the child care and pre-K structure. This entry provides a brief introduction to child care options, which include private child care, church-based preschool, preschool, family-based/home-based child care, Head Start/Early Head Start, public pre-K, and kindergarten programs, including half-day kindergarten (HDK) and full-day kindergarten (FDK).

Child Care

Child care ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles