Asserting that U.S. policy makers have much to gain from studying child care financing and delivery approaches in other economically-developed countries, this paper summarizes aspects of the organization and financing of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services across 14 industrialized countries as of the mid-1990s. The first section describes the paper's selection of countries, the time frame, the data sources, and the organizing framework for cross-country comparisons. The next sections analyze cross-national variation in the direct provision of ECEC services and the organization of other forms of public financing, then turn to comparisons of national ECEC expenditures and enrollments. The paper concludes by considering the implications of alternative approaches to service organization and financing for expansion of ECEC in the United States. (Contains 37 references.) (EV)