The characteristic Nordic ECEC model in Sweden and Norway is the result of an evolution that has been going on for almost two hundred years. Here I want to answer what these developments are, and on what grounds they have been established. There are both similarities and differences between the two countries in these developments. Most striking is how close and tight the processes have been in many areas in the two countries when we look at the broader picture, even though the specific and detailed processes, arrangements, timing and regulations may be different.