School assistance in daycare as a public policy of territorial character: the case of Vinhedo (SP)

Abstract

The present article argues that the effectiveness of early childhood education policies can only be achieved through an explicit territorial policy of the State. In contemporary Brazil, this policy must be able to integrate government units, sectoral actions, and strategic action focused on combating socio-spatial inequality. The article highlights the geographical-sociological dialogue among authors Milton Santos, Maria Adelia A. de Souza, and Ana Clara Torres Ribeiro, in particular the concept of socio-spatial formation, as theory and method, and the notion of used territory, as a central analytical category of planning. The article analyzes the municipality of Vinhedo, located in the Metropolitan Region of Campinas and the state of São Paulo. It proposes the development of an index to underpin an experimental test. This index simulates the practical application of the idea of used territory to potential daycare assistance.