Edited by four leading experts in the field of early childhood education, this book provides a cutting edge overview and discursive summaries of current research, main debates in the field and future trends. The entire landscape of early childhood education is surveyed through a collection of specially commissioned articles including the following themes: child & society policy and politics development and learning diversity, learning and access professionalism and parents new developments. This Handbook will be an essential work of reference for any student of early childhood education, elementary education, child development, education policy and social work at both undergraduate and graduate level.