In this special issue of Early Childhood Education Journal, early childhood care and education experts around the world offer authentic, emic perspectives and capture the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and families, programs for young children, preservice/inservice teachers, and teacher educators in postsecondary institutions. The introduction to the Special Issue is organized into three sections. First, we provide a brief review of the literature. Next, we describe the development of the project, commencing with its initial conceptualization and concluding with its publication. Finally, we discuss the significance of the recent global health pandemic and its future implications for the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC).