Early Childhood Development in Europe: focus on integrated and quality services for all
Taken from "Unequal Childhoods: Rights on paper should be rights in practice" Eurochild 2025 flagship report on children in need across Europe.
This sub-report outlines the progress and ongoing challenges affecting very young children and their families and caregivers. It outlines the issues that affect early childhood development, including access to quality early childhood education and care, and makes recommendations to European governments and institutions for ensuring the fulfilment of children’s rights from their earliest years.
Findings from Eurochild members:
- Positive interventions that support early childhood development
- Investing in early intervention, cross-sector support and integrated services for children’s early years
- Obstacles to children’s participation in quality early childhood education and care (ECEC)
- More data needed to inform policy and practice
Recommendations:
- Increase public investment in early childhood development, ensuring universal access to essential services for all children aged 0–6.
- Adopt a comprehensive and cross-sector approach to early childhood development, with a range of integrated and coordinated services that can support all young children and their families, especially those who are most marginalised.
- Focus investment on early and local interventions, with community-based services and hubs where families and caregivers can access early childhood services and support.
- Increase public investment to expand free, inclusive, high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) for all children, including those aged 0-3.
- Invest in ECEC staff who can provide tailored support for children with disabilities or who face particular disadvantages, and ensure inclusive learning.
- Ensure that ECEC provision is of high quality, with national standards and a qualified, professional and valued ECEC workforce.
- Fully implement the European Child Guarantee, the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child and the revised Barcelona targets on Early Childhood Education and Care.
- Support a European Year of Early Childhood.
