The International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study puts a spotlight on how children are faring at 5 years-of-age. Children’s early well-being and learning are primary determinants of their later outcomes in schooling and in adulthood. Yet children’s development during their early years remains one of the most neglected areas of international research in education. As a consequence, the international evidence countries can draw on to inform their policy approaches for children’s early learning is sparse. The International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study has been developed and designed to fill this gap. Education systems that prioritise evidence on children’s actual needs and who learn from other countries’ achievements and challenges will be more successful in giving every child a strong early start, thereby building more successful and equitable systems.