The People’s Republic of China (the PRC) has made laudable achievements in poverty reduction and completed the arduous task of eliminating extreme poverty by the end of 2020. In its recent national 14th Five‑Year Plan, improving the quality of human capital is highlighted as an essential goal. Existing research has shown that investing in early childhood development generates the highest rates of returns and leads to better education, health, social and economic outcomes. After decades of neglect in early childhood development, the government has been increasing investment in preschool education targeting children in ages 3–6 years since 2010. Until 2019, early childhood development has received renewed attention by the government. Drawing on policies and practices in developed countries and intervention research projects based on randomized controlled trial, this paper suggests that comprehensive and equitable early childhood development service system should become a priority in building essential public service systems. Moreover, special attention needs to be given to the vulnerable rural population and their caregivers. Home visiting program could be used in hard‑to‑reach areas in lieu of center‑based approach.