ABSTRACT
Introduction Early childhood education, like education in general, is carried out within distinct settings and is subject to influence from a host of social, cultural, economic and political forces. The range of possible settings tends to vary more widely than that associated with other forms or levels of education, however, because of the broad nature of the involvement of early childhood education with young children and their families. For the same reason, the influence of societal forces on early educational practice, policy, theory, and research tends to be far-reaching. This chapter provides information on the demographics and diversity of the populations served, the history of program sponsorship and sources of program funding, public and private settings for child care and early education, and the status of public policy, funding, and advocacy affecting programs for young children. It also includes analyses of several of the issues that historically have had, and today continue to have, a strong impact upon the form, content, and study of early
education and child care. Those issues are summarized briefly below.
