Who Cares? The Interplay Between Care, Education and Transitions in Early Learning and Childcare

There has been an increased number of younger children attending Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings globally. This has aligned with a greater focus on educational outcomes, which are often placed as juxta positioned to care. Younger children have different developmental needs than older children, and this may be particularly relevant during periods of transition and in relation to their care needs. The need to reconsider the purpose of ELC and the place of care within this has therefore become apparent. This research considered how care is enacted during ELC transitions by systematically reviewing literature. Findings suggested the role of ELC has shifted over time, leading to ambiguities and sometimes tensions in expectations between and within stakeholders. This in turn has influenced how care is defined, enacted and valued within ELC, with the overwhelming literature suggesting care is viewed less highly than education, for reasons such as difficulties in quantifying quality of care and the perception that care is innate rather than skilful. Transition practices were considered in relation to previously discussed definitions of care, which led to the identification of how care is enacted during ELC transitions, as well as further recommendations for those in the profession. Limitations included the exclusive use of literature written in English, meaning a fuller global picture is lacking. It would be recommended this research is used in conjunction with further studies capturing the data which was therefore excluded from this study to gain a fuller insight. This study has identified a gap in existing literature and therefore a further recommendation would be that the area of care within early years transition is considered within further research.