This article examines the provision of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in the US where individual states rather than central government set the standards. The scope and depth of programming varies greatly both across and within states, from comprehensive programs promoting health, social and cognitive development to others providing limited opportunities for social interaction and developmental stimulation. In some states, prekindergarten programs are administered by the state’s department of education and in others governance is deferred to local school districts, thus adding further to the variation.

• What might be the benefits of this approach to early childhood education and care and what might be the disadvantages?

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