What is Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)

The chapter starts with why inclusive innovations in early childhood education and care (ECEC) are needed before turning to the how. The early years have been massively under-funded and under-innovated for years in the U.S. The chapter outlines key ECEC innovations and trends across (1) whole child (innovations fostering early learning skills, self-regulation, social and emotional development, and physical well-being), (2) whole family (innovations in family engagement, family economic mobility, and family well-being), (3) whole school (innovations to support and empower teachers), and (4) whole community (innovations fostering cradle-to-career approaches, increasing kinship, and rethinking city design to optimize for young children's learning). The chapter also highlights the gaps where more innovations are needed.