This issue brief discusses the most recent and reliable research on early care and education and its implications for policy making. The brief summarizes recent discoveries about early brain development and then reviews research evaluating: (1) child care; (2) small-scale model early education programs providing enriched services to disadvantaged children; (3) large-scale public school readiness programs such as Head Start; and (4) parent-focused programs (home visiting/parent education). The most significant findings and policy implications noted are: (1) high-quality early care and education programs have proven their effectiveness in improving the developmental outcomes of low-income and disadvantaged children; (2) quality matters; (3) quality is particularly important for children from low-income families; and (4) while parent-focused home visiting/parent education programs have provided some benefits for parents, these have not translated into significantly improved outcomes for children. (Contains 33 endnotes.) (EV)