Drawing on experiences in North America, the United Kingdom, and other countries, this book examines the debate over the overall vision for early childhood education. The nature and quality of the United Kingdom's and other countries' culture is questioned in respect to the future it provides for children. The question of who is able to provide a consistent, caring environment for children in light of societal changes is raised. Noting that early childhood issues are currently being placed high on the political agendas of many countries, this book examines methods for improving the situation for today's and future children. The argument is not concerning whether there should be more high-quality and well-funded facilities for young child care, but rather, what is the best way to implement facilities and to train staff. The book includes the following chapters: (1) "Expanding Combined Nursery Provision: Bridging the Gap between Care and Education" (Iram Siraj-Blatchford); (2) "Developing Appropriate Home-School Partnerships" (Jennifer Little and Janet Meighan); (3) "Stories from the Classroom: What works? Developmentally Appropriate Practice" (Jennifer Little); (4) "Questions of Quality" (Tony Bertram and Christine Pascal); (5) "Integration: Children of All Abilities Working Together in an Inclusive Classroom" (Shannon Lee Fletcher); (6) "Initial Teacher Education" (Philip Gammage); and (7) "The Continuing Professional Development of Early Childhood Educators: Planning Contexts and Development Principles" (Christopher Day). Each chapter contains references. (BGC)