Many families with young children in the United States lack access to early care and education (ECE) that is affordable, convenient, and matches their preferences and needs. Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous children, families with low incomes, families who speak languages other than English, families with children with disabilities, and families experiencing homelessness face greater barriers to high-quality inclusive ECE, leading to inequities in access to ECE across communities (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2023). This Special Issue of Early Childhood Research Quarterly aims to advance the field's research on equitable access to ECE and inform data-driven policy solutions. The articles in this Special Issue address the conceptualization and measurement of access and explore policies and practices aimed at improving equitable access to affordable, high-quality ECE from the family and provider perspectives. This introduction synthesizes key themes addressed by the 22 articles in this Special Issue.
