ECEC Documents

WG operating documents

• ECEC WG - Terms of reference (July 2021)

• ECECWG - Rules of procedure

WG deliverables

Activity reports

• Activity report 2022-2023  (available in 24 languages)

Staff shortages

• Staff shortages in the ECEC sector - Policy brief (2023) (available in 24 languages)

Digitalisation

• Positive impact, opportunities and challenges of digitalisation in ECEC - Peer Learning Activity - Slovenia (2025)
  • Full report
  • Summary

ECEC leadership

• Leadership in ECEC: an overview of models and practices in Europe - Report (2024)
  • Full report
  • Summary
• Leadership in ECEC: competences and training - Report (2025)
  • Full report
  • Summary

• Reflection tool to organise leadership in ECEC (2025)
  • Word
  • PDF
• Leadership for inclusion: building capacity to strengthen a whole-system approach to early childhood education and development (ECED) - Report (2025)
  • Full report
  • Summary
• Strengthening ECEC leadership for quality development and staff retention - Peer Learning Activity (2024, Germany) 
• How can ECEC leaders best recruit and manage diverse teams and work with diverse families? - Peer Learning Activity (2024, Luxembourg)
• States and municipalities' roles in the leadership of preschools - Peer Learning Activity (2025, Iceland)

Monitoring and evaluating quality in early childhood education and care

• Background note (2022)
• Purposes, Values and Principles (2022)
  • Executive summary (EN)
• Improving the governance of monitoring and evaluation of quality in ECEC (2023)
  • Executive Summary (EN)
• Involving children, parents, staff and stakeholders in monitoring and evaluation of quality in ECEC (2023)
  • Executive Summary (EN)
• Making ECEC more inclusive through monitoring and evaluation of quality (2023)
  • Executive Summary (EN)
• ECEC - How to collect data and information to achieve a balance between monitoring of structural quality and evaluating process quality? (Peer Learning Activity Brussels, 2022)
• ECEC - How to involve stakeholders in monitoring and evaluation processes to increase inclusiveness of ECEC systems? (Peer Learning Activity Lithuania, 2023)

Other useful resources and policy documents

• Council Recommendation on High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care systems (2019) (available in 24 languages)
• EU strategy on the rights of the child (2021)
• EU strategy on the rights of the child_annex1 (2021)
• EU strategy on the rights of the child_annex2 (2021)
• EU strategy on the rights of the child_factsheet (2021)
• EU strategy on the rights of the child_illustrated (2021)
• EU Plan for Children's Rights_long (2021)
• EU Plan for Children's Rights_short (2021)
• EU Plan for Children's Rights_easy read (2021)
• Council Recommendation establishing a European Child Guarantee (2021) (available in 24 languages)
• European Child Guarantee_factsheet (2021)