Home-based and institutional early-childhood education and care services

Early-childhood education and care is oriented toward stimulating the development of young children in preparation for the primary-school period. The various programs can be divided into three types, according to the chosen manner of entry into the ecological system of the young child. Home-based programs focus primarily on the parents, thereby offering indirect support to the child. Center-based programs provide direct stimulation to the child through childcare centers or preschools. Combined programs merge these two approaches. Empirical evidence from various overview studies shows that combined programs are more effective than center-based programs, which in turn are more effective than home-based programs.