Recognizing that social change over recent decades has strengthened the need for early childhood education and care, this book seeks to answer what role this plays in creating and compensating for social inequalities in educational attainment.Compiling 13 cross-national and multidisciplinary empirical studies on three interrelated topics, this book explores how families from different social backgrounds decide between types of childcare, how important parental care and resources at home are for children's educational success and the consequences of early education and care for children's diverging educational destinies. Analysing a currently neglected area in sociological research, expert contributors employ the most recent country-specific longitudinal datasets in order to provide an up-to-date portrayal of the patterns and mechanisms of early educational inequality. With its extended analytical window ranging from short- to long-term educational outcomes this book will undoubtedly appeal to students and scholars in the fields of childcare, education, and social inequality. It also contains important suggestions and evidence for practitioners and policymakers trying to combat inequality in educational opportunities. Contributors include: M. Attig, H.-P. Blossfeld, S. Blömeke, A. Breinholt, Y. Brilli, M. Broekhuizen, S. Buchholz, J. Dämmrich, E. Dearing, D. Del Boca, A.-Z. Duvander, J. Erola, G. Esping-Andersen, E.C. Frede, A. Karhula, E. Kilpi-Jakonen, Y. Kosyakova, N. Kulic, P. Leseman, F. McGinnity, P. McMullin, T. Moser, H. Mulder, A. Murray, D. Piazzalunga, C. Pronzato, H.-G. Roßbach, H. Russell, J. Skopek, P. Slot, W. Steven Barnett, M. Triventi, S. van Schaik, J. Verhagen, I. Viklund, S. Wahler, S. Weinert, G. Yastrebov, H.D. Zachrisson

Table of Contents:
Contents: Foreword Part I: Introduction 1. Childcare, early education, and social inequality: Perspectives for a cross-national and multidisciplinary study Nevena Kulic, Jan Skopek, Moris Triventi, and Hans-Peter Blossfeld Part II: Patterns of care arrangements 2. Who cares for the children? Family social position and childcare arrangements in Italy, 2002-12 Ylenia Brilli, Nevena Kulic, and Moris Triventi 3. Early education and care in Post-Soviet Russia: Social policy and inequality patterns Yuliya Kosyakova and Gordey Yastrebov 4. Time on leave, timing of preschool – The role of socioeconomic background for preschool start in Sweden Ida Viklund and Ann-Zofie Duvander Part III: The role of family care quality 5. The emergence of social disparities – Evidence on early mother–child interaction and infant development from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) Sabine Weinert, Manja Attig, and Hans Günther Roßbach 6. Social inequality in cognitive outcomes in Ireland: What is the role of the home-learning environment and childcare? Frances McGinnity, Patricia McMullin, Aisling Murray, and Helen Russell Part IV: Consequences of care and preschool for early and later educational outcomes 7. Preschool and reading competencies – A cross-national analysis Johanna Dämmrich and Gøsta Esping-Andersen 8. Long-term effects of a system of high-quality universal preschool education in the United States W. Steven Barnett and Ellen C. Frede 9. Effectiveness of Dutch targeted preschool education policy for disadvantaged children: Evidence from the Pre-COOL study Paul Leseman, Hanna Mulder, Josje Verhagen, Martine Broekhuizen, Saskia van Schaik, and Pauline Slot 10. What levels the playing field for socioeconomically disadvantaged children in the Norwegian ECEC model? Henrik D. Zachrisson, Eric Dearing, Sigrid Blömeke, and Thomas Moser 11. Early childcare, child cognitive outcomes, and inequalities in the United Kingdom Daniela Del Boca, Daniela Piazzalunga, and Chiara Pronzato 12. Entry to formal childcare and abilities of preschoolers: A comparison of East and West Germany Jan Skopek 13. Childcare arrangements at preschool age and later child outcomes in Denmark: The role of maternal education and type of care Susanne Wahler, Sandra Buchholz, and Asta Breinholt 14. Home sweet home? Long-term educational outcomes of childcare arrangements in Finland Aleksi Karhula, Jani Erola, and Elina Kilpi-Jakonen Part V: Discussion and conclusions 15. Childcare, early education and compensation of educational (dis)advantage – Evidence from a multidisciplinary and international project Jan Skopek, Nevena Kulic, Moris Triventi, and Hans-Peter Blossfeld Index