The EC highlights that only eight out of the 32 European countries studied guarantee a legal right to early childhood education and care soon after birth. The report Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe -2014, published by Eurydice in cooperation with Eurostat, determines that even if most European countries ensure ECEC, there are differences regarding the age from which children are guaranteed to access the services.
The report also explores the importance of ECEC to reduce socio-economic inequalities and to foster the healthy development of children.
Other aspects:
- Affordability is a very important factor in ensuring that all children have access to ECEC, especially those in most need, i.e. children are at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
- The compulsory qualification levels for ECEC staff vary between countries. Educational staff working with older children is usually required to have a Bachelor's degree as a minimum qualification, while such requirement often does not exist for staff working with younger children.
- The participation in ECEC is low for the under three years old. In contrast, 93% of children attend ECEC before starting primary education.
- The involvement of parents and community representatives creates better conditions for children's learning.
The full study Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe – 2014 can be found here.
