Public Policies in Childhood Education in Brazil and Argentina: Realities and challenges derived from the COVID-19 pandemic

In this study we reflect on the progress and challenges posed by policies and practices for comprehensive childcare, highlighting the possibilities and limits of government action in both Brazil and Argentina. Both realities are analyzed from a perspective of collaborative critical inquiry situated in the fields of education, anthropology and politics. We address the challenges of childhood education in the public sphere, from the perspective of public policies and their impact on the lives of children. The field work was carried out from the perspective of qualitative studies with methodological adaptations, since with the COVID-19 pandemic, field work in the field was not feasible, considering the preventive measures in force in each country. We identify limitations and possibilities to face the challenges posed by a pandemic and post-pandemic context. Finally, we analyze how -despite legal advances -the rights of girls and boys have been strongly threatened in recent years.