Pereira, MónicaSantos, Natalie NóbregaBrito, Ana TeresaMata, LourdesMata2025-04-042025-04-042025Pereira, M., Santos, N. N., Brito, A. T., & Mata, L. (2025). Time and routines organization in early childhood education and care–participation, opportunities, and constraints. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2025.246154502568543http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/13512This study aimed to identify those who are involved in time management inearly childhood education and care contexts and to understand the inten-tions underlying time and routine organization. Focus groups were carriedout with 20 educators from the public and private sectors. The contentanalysis of these interviews suggested that educators, children, and themanagement/coordinators of the educational centers participate differentlyin time organization decisions, seeking to respond to children’s needs.However, these time management decisions are often carried out accordingto adults’ agendas, with imposed schedules that create constraints in orga-nizing routines that respond to children’s interests, especially if there are nonegotiations among the agents responsible for time and routine organiza-tion. The results highlight the need to introduce greater intentionality andparticipation during time organization decision-making in the context ofearly educationengChild participationEarlychildhood education andcareRoutinesTime organizationtechnical documentation10.1080/02568543.2025.2461545