Abstract: Children in China at present are beginning a new stage, from survival to development, driven by the economic growth and social development. As there is a common understanding of the concept of early child development (ECD), we analyzed the current situation of ECD in China based on the national conditions and international experiences. Great progress in several fields of ECD has been made, including policy support, service system and projects. The number of high-risk children has fallen sharply and gaps in health indicators have been bridged between western and eastern China in the past few years. However, imbalance of development between urban and rural children still exists, especially in poor areas. Compared to the developed countries, there are several gaps of ECD in China, like family nurturing. It's suggested that, in the future, working orientation of ECD should be clarified and the service system, including coordination, financing, incentives and information construction, should be improved in order to promote ECD in China.

Key words: early child development, health, nurturing, service system