From home to the world beyond: the interconnections among family, care and educational contexts

The historical changes in families, as described in Chapter 6, have clear consequences for children, families and communities. This chapter explores the links between families and the contexts beyond them, focusing particularly on child care and, to a lesser extent, school. This brings into relief some of the processes that socialise children for life in the wider community. It illustrates the ways in which contexts are interconnected, and demonstrates how specific developmental consequences for children depend on the combination of their individual characteristics and the experiences they have at home and in the wider context of child care and school. The quality of experiences in each context is seen as the key determinant of developmental outcomes.