For society

Quality care and education for young children improves children’s social development. It supports families. It strengthens social cohesion and social capital. And care and education services for young children can be the heart of a community.

Quality early care and education also helps make society fairer and more equitable through reducing social and economic disadvantage and strengthening equality between women and men.

Quality early care and education can help to break the inter-generational cycle of social exclusion.

Where subsidised through public funds, early care and education services help reduce child poverty through lowering the barrier to employment for parents who want to work.

For women to have a fair choice about their participation in employment, education and training and their work-life balance, it is important to have strong parental leave policies as well as early care and education services that are affordable, accessible and high quality.

For more on why quality early care and education matters for society, and references to research evidence, see our leaflet Why Early Care and Education?