Early Childhood studies coincide with many key areas that overlap with a variety of social issues, and many of which give rise to research impacted by the changes in society. The present proceedings provide some answers to these concerns for both institutions and stakeholders in the field. However, a variety of opinions are exposed to encompass the diversity of thought that manifests itself regarding the questions addressed in this publication. This is due in particular to the fact that research and training in the early childhood sector raise many topics regarding learning, cognition, and the processes of socialization and desocialization, as well as matters relating to cultural contexts and public policy choices. In this respect, let us recall with Bigras et al. (2020, § 1) that recurrently, studies advocating “in favor of support for learning from early childhood, […] have led to a review of public policies surrounding the programs and pedagogical approaches that prevail […] almost everywhere around the world”¹ (Cf. eg. Maltais & Herry, 2005; Vandenbroeck, 2021; Torterat & Azaoui, 2021). Therefore, professions that relate to public education, but also those of publishing, youth centers, and urban planning, as well as many other relevant service providers potentially involved in the lives of children, are pertinent to research that intersects with the field of early childhood studies.

In Europe in particular, the needs identified in terms of the involvement of families and other stakeholders have been extensively documented. Let us quote from the FRA report (2021) of the Agency for Fundamental Rights, Eurydice Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe (2019), EENEE Analytical Report, 32 (2018), Recommendation of the 2019 Council from the EU Working Group on Childcare and Care Early Childhood, as well as its production ET2020 Working group Early Childhood Education and Care (2020). The Eurydice report, among others, highlights that “the measures and initiatives implemented by early childhood care establishments are not always sufficient to guarantee a smooth transition to primary school. […] Some experts and political decision-makers advocate a paradigm shift so that the school adapts to the children, and not that the children adapt to school (OECD, 2017)”. Similar changes are again suggested in the Toolkit for Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care (2020), which also promotes initiatives “developing standards in terms of partnership to strengthen the quality of pre-school education”, so as to “not only share good practices” (p. 98), but to lead the various actors in the field to pool “local knowledge” and, over time, “shared practices carried out on a daily basis” (p. 62).

Among the studies on this topic, many establish the insufficiency regarding educational support through collaborations between schools, social work and youth centers. This is of particular importance for underserved populations. The issues of inclusion and participation especially come into play in this context for families. Primarily referring to Francis (2011, p. 162), the notion of educational support widens the field of intervention to a great variety of sectors. On this subject, even though “previous actions defined a regional but weak individualized approach, this paradigm shift favors an approach that combines entry through the area, targeting only disadvantaged neighborhoods, and individualized support for career paths” (Ibid., our translation). In support of a shifting paradigm, it appears essential to seize any opportunity likely to strengthen the links between families, communities and other stakeholders. Depending on the context, the very first social and learning experiences of a child can have a large impact on their development (for an approach to the socio-historical role of parents' participation in school life, see Francis & Doucet-Dahlgren, 2021). Despite the contingency of educational policy choices, the institutional order seems in line with this social invitation. For example, in the mixed statement published, in 2017, by the French General Inspectorate of National Education (IGÉN), one of the prioritized “areas of work” thus proposes to correct as much as possible the inequalities observed by increasing "connections between early childhood, pre-school and the first level of primary school” (p. 86, our translation).

A reexamination of these transitions, in connection with parents and their daily routines and the cultural background in which they raise their children, demands an equal reflection on the role of language acquisition in the context of early childhood studies (Becker, 2011; Barrett, 2017; Osh & Schieffelin, 2017; Canut, Masson & Leroy, 2018; Torterat et al., 2019). The socio-political stakes of these issues arise moreover with an acuity that has increased since the 2000s, and more still in this period which begins with the serial "crises" (particularly social, health and demographic) which have manifested from 2018-2021 around the world. Even though these necessities would be part of a well-established history (Maso-Taulère, 2005; Joigneaux, 2013; Wright & Neuman, 2014; Hackett, MacLure & Pahl, 2020; Skaremyr, 2021), the efforts consented by professional educators through their interaction with families and other early childhood studies stakeholders, deserve to be evaluated apart. Reflect on, for example, the proliferation of partnerships around the socialized learning of language and the development of teaching writing, which seem to help to significantly reduce the gaps among children who, for some of them, are struggling with inequalities of all types. In the same vein, other similar efforts should necessitate researchers to consider how, and to what extent, collaborative initiatives promote a reexamination of empirical production and practices in keeping with co-education (cf. Kherroubi & Lebon, 2017; Myre-Bisaillon & Torterat, 2021).

The proceedings presented in this publication constitute a selection of presentations at the Colloquium on Collaborative Initiatives in Early Childhood, which was held in Montpellier, France in October 2021. They highlight a variety of topics related to the overall conference focus. Contributions come from academics working in Switzerland, Lithuania, Italy, Norway, Serbia, France and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The first issue of the LIRDEF Journal in Numerev examines (with a deliberately short format) the ways in which these collaborations take shape in different regions of Europe. In addition, there are two case studies from stakeholders in the field of early childhood studies who describe, through concrete examples, some local initiatives, namely the "Conseil de crèche" and the "Café des Parents^®”. These two case studies showcase potential examples of successful programs that provide long-term support for young children through multiple transitions that take place during early childhood.

From the University of Stavanger in Norway, Sara Esmaeeli and Åse Kari H. Wagner explore some of the aspects likely to promote the development of children's early literacy, summarizing the main results of two studies from the On Track project. The authors show the importance of obtaining data on literacy habits and use inside the family to examine the relationship between reading skills and the home environment. In a separate contribution, Laurent Filliettaz, Marianne Zogmal and Stéphanie Garcia talk about a similar project conducted in Geneva, Switzerland with a focus on collaboration between parents and early childhood professionals, emphasizing the interactional skills employed by educators, and the related professional training needed for their work. Similar themes appear in the contribution of Brahim Azaoui and Christelle Dodane who examined the interactions that “crèche” (daycare) professionals have with the children under their care. One of the central points of their study (conducted in Montpellier, France) consists of considering the importance of multimodal resources (verbal, vocal, physical, gestural and teaching materials) in the ability to communicate with young children.

One of the possible teaching resources in this area is detailed by Marie-Noëlle Dabestani in Paris, France, who reviews two mediation materials, namely the "mediation" and "everyday life" notebooks, introduced in the last decade of the 20th century in French pre-schools. These resources testify to an implementation of educational policies elaborated during this period, of which children reappear at the center of concerns of educational actors with a focus on reducing inequalities in school. From Verona, Italy, Chiara Melloni and Maria Vender evaluate the relationship between bilingualism and developmental language disorder, and discuss the possible collaborations between school educators and health sector practitioners. The authors review the “protective” effects of bilingualism on speech disorders, and advocate for the explicit use of language within the family to engage the participation of the parents. In line with this study is that of Tijana Ašić and Izabela Dankić from their respective universities in Serbia and in Bosnia-Herzegovina. One of the main highlights of their research approach consists of identifying the advantages of collaborative work between different stakeholders in child development and education. The benefits of such approaches is also illustrated in the article by Frédéric Torterat, Françoise Morel, Katherine Ruprecht and Yves Souléthat examines a unique educational program in France called "Passerelle" (transitional pre-school) classes. This program makes it possible to integrate families, as well as early childhood professionals from the sectors of education, social work and maternal assistance, into the school environment. Favorable preliminary results have been documented for reducing potential long-term social inequalities through this special program.

Moreover, Daiva Jakavonytè-Staškuviené, Linas Jašinauskas and Jolita Kudinoviené from Lithuania, examine the relationship between researchers and practitioners in the field of education. We thus see, with the authors, what place empirical approaches can hold to provide elements of response to identified needs. Also linking principles, structures and collaborations carried out on a daily basis, Lisa Jacquey and Marion Voillot, working in Lille and Paris, present through the French research collaborative called Premiers Cris, the positive effects of sharing knowledge and practices in education between families and early childhood stakeholders. The authors demonstrate how an alliance between Science and Design continuously benefits this ongoing dialogue. Equally, Isabelle Audras, Violaine Béduneau and Françoise Leclaire from Le Mans and Rouen, France, show that such collaborative initiatives enable many changes of perception on the contributions of each one. Highlighting how schools and associations can work together, they illustrate to what extent this link also makes it possible to take into account and value the linguistic and cultural diversity of all families. As previously referenced, two case studies from early childhood stakeholders round out the publication with contributions from Fabien Catherine from the area of Rhôny-Vistre-Vidourle and from Charles Foxonet and Pascal Suzanne from Herault, France. The authors document the different backgrounds and a range of significant steps taken to build the initiatives "Conseil de crèche" and the "Café des Parents^®”. Their insights provide, from these experiences, avenues for the participation of families in the formal educational and social development of their children, while providing concrete examples of what effective parenting support can look like.

We hope that these selected contributions with varied epistemologies, will provide a useful perspective for those seeking to understand how to concretely bridge the gap between multiple stakeholders and researchers in the field of early childhood studies, to create a meaningful paradigm shift that will have a positive impact on future work and reports in this sector.