This book presents an international perspective on the involvement of men in the lives of young children across a range of differing contexts and from a number of disciplinary perspectives. It takes as a starting point the importance of positive male engagement with young children so as to ensure their optimal development. Past research has revealed however the complexity of studying these relationships and the barriers that exist in families & society which impede the implementation of positive relationships. This book is developed to use new research and educational thinking in order to explore the lived experiences of both fathers and men in edu-care and in addition to considers what it is to be a man in the 21st century. As such this work is pertinent, timely and responsive to issues of concern to all those professionals, policy makers and practitioners within education and family services and also to the public in general. The central purpose of the book is to contribute to the debate around key issues connected to the ways in which men can develop secure professional and familial attachments to young children for whom they have a responsibility.

This book was published as a special issue of Early Child Development and Care.