Edward Melhuish is Professor of Human Development at Birkbeck, University of London And Visiting Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Education, University of London. He specialises in child development and the influence of experience. For several years Professor Melhuish has been a principal investigator on the Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) and Effective Pre-school Provision in Northern Ireland (EPPNI) projects based in England and Northern Ireland. He is also currently the Executive Director of the National Evaluation of Sure Start.Dr Petrogiannis is lecturer in developmental psychology at the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. He has worked as a visiting tutor in the Department of Psychology of the Panteion University, Athens, and as a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology at the University of Ioannina, Greece. His main areas of interest are in psychological measurement and research methodology, child care impact upon children’s development and parent-child relationships.

'This volume is a needed and welcomed way of opening doors for both those who work with children and those in the general public.' - Journal of Marriage and Family

• 1. Introducing International Perspectives on Early Childhood Care & Education 2. Childcare in the United States: Characteristics and Consequences 3. Policy and Research on Early Childcare and Education in Greece 4. Policy and Research on Preschool Care and Education in the UK 5. Children’s and parents’ Needs and Early Education and Care in Italy 6. Policy and Research on Childcare in Sweden 7. Early Childhood Care and Education in Aotearoa – New Zealand 8. Early Childhood Care and Education in Israel 9. Early Childhood Care and Education: An Indian Perspective 10. Development of Kindergarten Care and Education in the People’s Republic of China since the 1990s 11. An International Overview of Early Childhood Care and Education

Edward Melhuish is Professor of Human Development at Birkbeck, University of London And Visiting Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Education, University of London. He specialises in child development and the influence of experience. For several years Professor Melhuish has been a principal investigator on the Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) and Effective Pre-school Provision in Northern Ireland (EPPNI) projects based in England and Northern Ireland. He is also currently the Executive Director of the National Evaluation of Sure Start.Dr Petrogiannis is lecturer in developmental psychology at the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. He has worked as a visiting tutor in the Department of Psychology of the Panteion University, Athens, and as a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology at the University of Ioannina, Greece. His main areas of interest are in psychological measurement and research methodology, child care impact upon children’s development and parent-child relationships.

'This volume is a needed and welcomed way of opening doors for both those who work with children and those in the general public.' - Journal of Marriage and Family

• 1. Introducing International Perspectives on Early Childhood Care & Education 2. Childcare in the United States: Characteristics and Consequences 3. Policy and Research on Early Childcare and Education in Greece 4. Policy and Research on Preschool Care and Education in the UK 5. Children’s and parents’ Needs and Early Education and Care in Italy 6. Policy and Research on Childcare in Sweden 7. Early Childhood Care and Education in Aotearoa – New Zealand 8. Early Childhood Care and Education in Israel 9. Early Childhood Care and Education: An Indian Perspective 10. Development of Kindergarten Care and Education in the People’s Republic of China since the 1990s 11. An International Overview of Early Childhood Care and Education

Edward Melhuish is Professor of Human Development at Birkbeck, University of London And Visiting Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Education, University of London. He specialises in child development and the influence of experience. For several years Professor Melhuish has been a principal investigator on the Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) and Effective Pre-school Provision in Northern Ireland (EPPNI) projects based in England and Northern Ireland. He is also currently the Executive Director of the National Evaluation of Sure Start.Dr Petrogiannis is lecturer in developmental psychology at the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. He has worked as a visiting tutor in the Department of Psychology of the Panteion University, Athens, and as a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology at the University of Ioannina, Greece. His main areas of interest are in psychological measurement and research methodology, child care impact upon children’s development and parent-child relationships.

'This volume is a needed and welcomed way of opening doors for both those who work with children and those in the general public.' - Journal of Marriage and Family

• 1. Introducing International Perspectives on Early Childhood Care & Education 2. Childcare in the United States: Characteristics and Consequences 3. Policy and Research on Early Childcare and Education in Greece 4. Policy and Research on Preschool Care and Education in the UK 5. Children’s and parents’ Needs and Early Education and Care in Italy 6. Policy and Research on Childcare in Sweden 7. Early Childhood Care and Education in Aotearoa – New Zealand 8. Early Childhood Care and Education in Israel 9. Early Childhood Care and Education: An Indian Perspective 10. Development of Kindergarten Care and Education in the People’s Republic of China since the 1990s 11. An International Overview of Early Childhood Care and Education