Early Childhood Studies is increasingly regarded as a separate academic discipline, backed up by a range of new initiatives and documentation. The new edition of this popular core text reflects such changes, providing comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of course content, and an overview of current issues and approaches. It reflects the multi-professional, multi-disciplinary scope of Early Childhood Studies, introducing different ways of studying children's lives. Further, it includes new material related to Birth to Three Matters, Every Child Matters and the National Professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership, and is linked throughout to the new Standards for Early Years Professional Status.