In March 2006 the newly elected President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, mandated a Presidential Advisory Board for Early Childhood Policy Reform to propose a comprehensive system for the care and education of young children. The programme based on the board’s recommendations, Chile Crece Contigo (ChCC – ‘Chile is Growing with You’), began in 2007. This article considers the factors that contributed to its effective nationwide implementation and lessons that could be learned in other countries.