In Sweden, children can start preschool at the earliest when they turn one year old. The group that benefits most from starting preschool early is children from socially disadvantaged homes.
There is little research on the effects of starting preschool already at six months of age, Jonas Jessen emphasizes.Good quality childcare can help increase all children's social skills and even out the differences between children's conditions, according to the researchers. It could have effects on school performance, health measures and even in working life later in life.