After briefly reviewing the National Council of Churches' 1984 policy statement on child day care, this consultant's paper discusses the place of church-based child care in the field of early childhood education. Short overviews of early childhood curricula published and distributed by churches, the special contribution of churches to the field of early childhood education, established training networks within denominations, and the critical need for future collaboration between the churches and the secular communities in early childhood training, service delivery, and advocacy are included. (RH)