This book examines how the intersecting influences of gender, race, developmental psychology, and public policy affect the development, status, and standing of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as a field of practice. In order to understand how ECCE has been externally and internally marginalized—in public esteem, research attention, and compensation and valuation of its workforce—Goffin traces the field’s origins and its evolution over time. Focusing on early childhood caregivers and educators, the book calls attention to the racial and gender makeup of the field, its reliance on psychology, and the role of public policy in its contribution to the field’s low prestige. Each chapter emphasizes how these four interwoven influences have shaped early childhood care and education as a practice. This work is ideal for early childhood care and education graduate faculty, graduate students, educators, and caregivers who want to know more about their history.