Not a black or white issue: choosing alternative organizational models for delivering early childhood services.

This article investigates how municipalities choose their organizational arrangements for delivering early childhood services and the interplay among the regional framework, local legacies, and agency factors influencing these choices. We answered these questions through a mix-method approach and a comparative analysis of four European regions in the same country (Italy). Our data shows that a variety of hybrid organizational models for service delivery is possible, and the fundamental role played by the regional framework in affecting organizational choices – with local factors such as legacy and agency compensating in the event of its absence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]