CARE is a collaborative project funded by the European Union to address issues related to the quality, inclusiveness, and individual, social, and economic benefits of early childhood education and care in Europe. The project started January, 2014, and will continue until December, 2016.

The central goal of CARE is to develop an evidence-based and culture-sensitive European framework of developmental goals, quality assessment, curriculum approaches, and policy measures for improving the quality and effectiveness of early childhood education and care.

Our interdisciplinary research team will construct this framework, based on the competencies and skills that young children need to develop in current societies. We will also identify the conditions that have to be fulfilled to promote child development and wellbeing, and identify strategies and policy measures that support access to high-quality provisions. In doing this, we hope to identify strategies and policy measures that are likely to receive broad support from families, professionals, and policymakers, thereby enhancing the impact of early childhood education and care. In addition, we will conduct a cost-benefits analysis of early childhood education and care.

CARE is a collaborative project that includes 11 partners and countries, covering all regions of Europe.

Involving families, professionals, policymakers, and European citizens is important to us. Participate! Get involved!