The benefits of high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) for children, such as increased cognitive and social-emotional development, are well-known and documented. However, ECEC also provides economic benefits for caregivers and society by supporting increased labour force participation. In particular, providing high-quality, accessible, and affordable ECEC can help more caregivers enter, continue, or return to the labour force. This chapter focuses on the economic benefits of ECEC from the perspective of caregiver labour force participation.
