Recognizing that social change over recent decades has strengthened the need for early childhood education and care, this book seeks to answer what role this plays in creating and compensating for social inequalities in educational attainment. Compiling 13 cross-national and multidisciplinary empirical studies on three interrelated topics, this book explores how families from different social backgrounds decide between types of childcare, how important parental care and resources at home are for children's educational success and the consequences of early education and care for children's diverging educational destinies. Analysing a currently neglected area in sociological research, expert contributors employ the most recent country-specific longitudinal datasets in order to provide an up-to-date portrayal of the patterns and mechanisms of early educational inequality. With its extended analytical window ranging from short- to long-term educational outcomes this book will undoubtedly appeal to students and scholars in the fields of childcare, education, and social inequality. It also contains important suggestions and evidence for practitioners and policymakers trying to combat inequality in educational opportunities. Contributors include: M. Attig, H.-P. Blossfeld, S. Bloemeke, A. Breinholt, Y. Brilli, M. Broekhuizen, S. Buchholz, J. Dammrich, E. Dearing, D. Del Boca, A.-Z. Duvander, J. Erola, G. Esping-Andersen, E.C. Frede, A. Karhula, E. Kilpi-Jakonen, Y. Kosyakova, N. Kulic, P. Leseman, F. McGinnity, P. McMullin, T. Moser, H. Mulder, A. Murray, D. Piazzalunga, C. Pronzato, H.-G. Rossbach, H. Russell, J. Skopek, P. Slot, W. Steven Barnett, M. Triventi, S. van Schaik, J. Verhagen, I. Viklund, S. Wahler, S. Weinert, G. Yastrebov, H.D. Zachrisson