Examines multicultural education in the context of institutional early childhood care and education (ECCE), with emphasis on improving quality. From a study of ECCE in the Netherlands, educators and other professionals working with immigrant children and families learn information about: (1) the tenets of multicultural education; (2) the history of institutional child care in the Netherlands and current practice whereby government-subsidized centers provide full-day care and education for children of working parents; (3) multicultural education in Dutch nurseries and playgroups; (4) relevant international experiences in England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Spain, and France; (5) models of multicultural education, ranging from submersion in the mainstream language and culture to facilitation of mutual understanding and respect between children of different cultures; (6) goals for multicultural education and evaluation tools; and (7) consensus building as a prerequisite for quality.Good-quality multicultural education in ECCE rests on 3 conditions: anti-discrimination, family involvement, and caregiver responsiveness to children and parents from a variety of cultural backgrounds. In this way, parents are assured that caregivers are meeting their children’s needs, while they work to meet the challenges of employment and adjustment to a new culture.
