ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the range of early childhood services in the city of Reggio Emilia, including the municipal preschools and infant-toddler centres. The role of the Preschools and Infant-Toddler Centres Institution and the Reggio Children organisation is outlined. The day-to-day organisation of a typical preschool and infant-toddler centre is described, including staffing structures, work patterns and arrangements for children with additional needs. The network of municipal preschools and infant-toddler centres that exists in Reggio Emilia today has developed from the community-led preschools established immediately after the Second World War and the municipal early childhood services opened in the 1960s. Every year a number of infant-toddler centres and preschools remain open for the month of July for parents who make a special request for this facility. The infant-toddler centres and preschools seek to cater for children of all socioeconomic backgrounds and all educational needs.
