Eurofound initiated a systematic review -- a review of research literature that follows a systematic methodology -- in 2013 (to be completed in 2014) to analyse how the working conditions and training opportunities of ECEC staff relate to the interactions between staff and children and outcomes for children, with the aim of synthesising the findings of primary research studies in Europe. This paper complements that review by summarising findings from five other systematic reviews. The paper also provides up-to-date information about the working conditions and training opportunities of ECEC staff in five Member States: Austria, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain. These countries have fairly well-developed ECEC systems in terms of coverage and different degrees of centralisation of ECEC services. They were not covered in the OECD 'Quality matters in early childhood education and care' country reports, but they were countries about which the research team was able to gather recent information regarding the current situation of workers and the latest policy initiatives. (author abstract)