Jennifer Bowes is Professor of Early Childhood at the Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University, and founding Director of the Children and Families Research Centre, Macquarie University. Kerry Hodge is an Honorary Associate in the Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University. Rebekah Grace is a Senior Research Fellow and the Program Manager for Early Childhood Research in the Centre for Health Equity Training, Research and Evaluation (CHETRE), University of New South Wales.

PART 1: APPROACHES TO THEORY AND EVIDENCE 1. The Role of Context in Children's Development 2. Research About and with Children, Families, and Communities PART 2: CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN 3. Developmental Disability 4. Giftedness 5. Ethnicity: Finding a Cultural Home in Australia PART 3: FACE-TO-FACE CONTEXTS 6. Families as the Primary Context for Children 7. Interconnections Among Family, Childcare and Educational Settings 8. Children, Technology, and Media 9. Changing Contexts of Play: Losses and Opportunities 10. The Special Case of Bullying 11. Geographical and Social Isolation PART 4: BEYOND FACE-TO-FACE CONTEXTS 12. Responsibilities in Child Protection and Out-of-home Care 13. Strong State Intervention: The Stolen Generations 14. Early Childhood Education and Care Policy in Australia 15. Children in Emergency Situations: An International Perspective 16. Policy Support for Children, Families and Communities 17. Bibliography 18. Index