ABSTRACT
This chapter appraises the historical development of and the current situation of early childhood care and education in Cameroon. In order to contextualize the topic I begin with a brief look at Cameroon and the historical forces that are thought to have shaped the contemporary childhood scenario. This is followed by a description of patterns of and trendlines in caretaking and early childhood education and their implications for nonparental care. The exposition reveals the density of social networks, the expectation that network members, including children, should be caretakers, dramatic changes in the social ecology, and inherent conflicts and challenges.
