Activity 1.2 | Social and Theoretical Influences on Early Childhood Education and Care

Historically, care and education have been deeply connected to societal values and economic needs. Early childhood education and care for children were established primarily to address the severe poverty many families faced in the early 1900s. Later, during wartime, as women were needed in the workforce, childcare centers were created to allow women to work and sustain the economy. However, many of these centers closed post-war when traditional family roles were reinstated. It was not until the Industrial Revolution, when women re-entered the workforce in larger numbers, that the demand for childcare reemerged, leading to the development of more formal care systems. 

Social Timeline of Childcare: