<p>Disadvantaged children exist worldwide for many different reasons. In China, a particularly vulnerable group is the rural left-behind children, who confront early developmental risks due to the dual predicament of weak material resources and lack of parental accompaniment. The study investigates the early development of 0–3 rural left-behind children and their home environments in Shandong Province, East China, and explores their correlation. Findings reveal that these children’s quality of home environments is inadequate, and their early development, particularly in cognitive areas, is significantly lagging. The home environment significantly and positively affects the early development of 0–3 left-behind children, with the dimensions of responsivity and involvement particularly impactful. There is An urgent need to address and prioritize the early development of 0-3 rural left-behind children, intervening early by easing the caregiving challenges faced by primary caregivers and guiding them to provide sensitive and responsive care, thereby fostering the early development of these children.</p>