'A celebration of the tremendous strides made towards the achievement of a multi professional early years workforce, and a challenge to those responsible for training the next generation of professionals! Students and trainers, policy makers and practitioners have a duty to be knowledgeable, to be able to reflect on their beliefs and practice and to articulate concerns, share their views, convey their enthusiasm and act as advocates for young children. This book will help them do just that' - Lesley Abbott OBE, Manchester Metropolitan University. Early Childhood Studies critically engages the reader in issues that relate to young children and their lives from a multi professional perspective. Whilst offering a theoretically rigorous treatment of issues relating to early childhood studies, the book also provides practical discussion of strategies that could inform multi professional practice.It draws upon case studies to help the reader make practical sense of theoretical ideas and develop a critical and reflective attitude. Hard and pressing questions are asked so that beliefs, ideas, views and assumptions about notions of the child and childhood are constantly critiqued and reframed for the post-modern world. The first part of the book explores the early years, power and politics by looking at child rights, the politics of play, families, and working with parents and carers. The second part explores facts and fantasies about childhood experiences, such as anti-discriminatory practice, the law, child protection, and health issues. The final section encourages the reader to explore what childhood means from historical, ideological and cultural perspectives, and looks at how popular assumptions arise. This is a key critical text for early childhood students, academics and researchers, as well as practitioners who want to develop their reflective practice.