Early childhood education and social inclusion: opportunities and challenges at the local level

Abstract

The European Union promotes universal access to universal high-quality early childhood services to increase the life chances of disadvantaged children and to help families to get out of poverty (European Commission 2013). Yet, this policy can only be successfully implemented when contextual factors are considered. This case study of the Spanish city of Tarragona points to the local level policy, governance, and organisational conditions that prevent ecec services from being more accessible and responsive to impoverished families. A survey of local teachers as well as semi structured interviews with teachers, social workers and low-income families were employed. The results indicate the shortcomings of an insufficient and a homogeneously designed public ECEC system in a local context with high territorial disparities. ECEC services did not meet the needs of many vulnerable families because of insufficient offer, discriminatory access criteria, lack of outreach, unrecognised costs, estrange supplementary services, non-integration with other welfare actors, and little participation of the families.