Early care and education (ECE) can have a positive effect on many aspects of children's development, including the language, literacy, mathematics, executive functioning, and social-emotional competencies needed for a smooth transition into kindergarten and later life success. But for many families, high-quality ECE is out of reach. California has established a range of programs to support the development of children from birth to age 5, but these programs are uncoordinated, insufficient in scope, and of variable quality. This report provides California policymakers with a comprehensive overview of the state's ECE system, describing its administration and funding, access to care, program quality, and data limitations. State policymakers should consider the following five questions in light of the findings in this report: (1) How can California move from a patchwork of disconnected programs to a more unified ECE system?; (2) How should California increase the availability of high-quality, full-day ECE programs that meet the needs of children and families?; (3) How can California more sustainably fund ECE programs?; (4) How can California continue to improve quality and supports for all ECE programs?; and (5) How can California improve its data systems to inform strategic decision making? This report provides some of the background information policymakers need to begin answering these questions so that they can create a system that will better serve California's children. [For the research brief, see ED606733.]