ECE Essentials
Understanding ECE fundamentals is essential for making sound policy decisions. This page covers the basics every state leader needs to know—what ECE is, why it matters, and who benefits when states get policy right.
What Is Early Care & Education?
Understanding ECE fundamentals is essential for making sound policy decisions. This page covers the basics every state leader needs to know—what ECE is, why it matters, and who benefits when states get policy right.
Understanding ECE fundamentals is essential for making sound policy decisions. This page covers the basics every state leader needs to know—what ECE is, why it matters, and who benefits when states get policy right.
Understanding ECE fundamentals is essential for making sound policy decisions. This page covers the basics every state leader needs to know—what ECE is, why it matters, and who benefits when states get policy right.
Understanding ECE fundamentals is essential for making sound policy decisions. This page covers the basics every state leader needs to know—what ECE is, why it matters, and who benefits when states get policy right.
Early care and education (ECE) refers to group programs for children from birth until they enter kindergarten, including childcare, pre-K, preschool, and Head Start.
Unlike K–12, the ECE sector is decentralized and diverse. Parents choose among programs that:
Vary greatly in hours of service, individual program design, and funding stream
Are provided in a wide range of locations including private centers, homes, faith-based and community organizations, workplaces, and public schools.This site is designed to help you do exactly that.
Early care and education (ECE) refers to group programs for children from birth until they enter kindergarten, including childcare, pre-K, preschool, and Head Start.
Unlike K–12, the ECE sector is decentralized and diverse. Parents choose among programs that:
Vary greatly in hours of service, individual program design, and funding stream
Are provided in a wide range of locations including private centers, homes, faith-based and community organizations, workplaces, and public schools.This site is designed to help you do exactly that.
Early care and education (ECE) refers to group programs for children from birth until they enter kindergarten, including childcare, pre-K, preschool, and Head Start.
Unlike K–12, the ECE sector is decentralized and diverse. Parents choose among programs that:
Vary greatly in hours of service, individual program design, and funding stream
Are provided in a wide range of locations including private centers, homes, faith-based and community organizations, workplaces, and public schools.This site is designed to help you do exactly that.
What's the Difference Between Childcare and Early Education?
There isn't one.
People often view childcare and early education as two different things, but this distinction ignores how young children actually develop.
For young children, care and learning are inseparable. Unlike school-age children, young children learn through stable, loving relationships and everyday interactions, experiences, and play — not formal instruction.
Any place where young children spend substantial time shapes their development, whether we call it childcare, preschool, or pre-K. The important question is only whether that place supports or hinders a child's healthy growth.
When state policy treats “childcare” and “early education” as separate systems, it wastes money and confuses families. Smart policy aligns systems around the real needs of children and families, not false bureaucratic distinctions. that.
What You'll Find Here
Our Approach to ECE Policy
Five Core Principles to Guide Policy
Our approach is grounded in five practical principles:
Target support where it's needed most.
Focus public dollars on families who can't access quality programs on their own.Put families first.
Empower parents, not government, to choose what’s best for their child.Strengthen markets, don't replace them.
Expand access and improve quality by making markets work for all families.Empower communities to lead.
Support community-driven initiatives from employers, non-profits, and faith-based groups.Focus on cost-effective results, not spending.
Track results to ensure public dollars achieve what matters most.
The Families We Focus On
States make the biggest difference for young children and families by focusing ECE policy on those with the greatest need.
We recommend that state policy target families who earn below 85% of the State Median Income (SMI). These are the families that face the most difficult choices, and benefit most from targeted support.
How to Get Started
Use the navigation bar to explore the site's resources and tools:
New to ECE? Start with ECE Essentials to learn what ECE is and why it matters.
Want to understand why state leadership is crucial? See Why States Must Lead for a clear explanation of why states — not Washington — are best positioned to lead on ECE.
Ready to explore policy solutions? Visit Policy Priorities and see Solutions in Action for concrete options that states are using now.
Have quick questions? Check FAQs and our Glossary to get the answers you need.
As a state leader, you’re uniquely positioned to shape ECE that empowers lower-income families, advances children’s healthy development, and strengthens your state’s economy.
You have the tools and the opportunity to drive real change — we’re here to help with clear, practical guidance. families, advances children’s healthy development, and strengthens your state’s economy.
You have the tools anhave the tools and the opportunity to drive real change — we’re here to help with clear, practical guidance. families, advances children’s healthy development, and strengthens you
How to Get Started
Learn why ECE policy matters ⟶ ECE Essentials
