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The Guardian - Labour rules out universal childcare for young children in fiscal credibility drive
Kiran Stacey and Rowena Mason |
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Labour has ruled out offering universal free childcare for children over nine months old but is considering a means-tested offer, sources have told the Guardian, as the party strives to prove its fiscal credibility. |
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The Telegraph - Princess of Wales commissions £50k NHS study to check babies' happiness
Victoria Ward |
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The Royal Foundation is funding an NHS trial of Alarm Distress Baby Scale tool, which measures social behaviour to assess how babies are interacting with the world around them. Partnering with the Institute of Health Visitors and the University of Oxford, the pilot scheme will run until December at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust. |
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The Independent - Youngsters reduced to ‘numbers on spreadsheet’, says childcare leader
Aine Fox |
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The leader of the Early Years Alliance has said that children have been reduced to “numbers on a Treasury spreadsheet” amid Government plans which prioritise free childcare over supporting early learning or improving life chances, a conference has heard. |
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The Guardian - Sure Start director says childcare reform is for UK economy not children
Alexandra Topping |
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Naomi Eisenstadt, first programme lead of Sure Start, says there is lack of attention on what childcare is actually for and says that the Government values childcare but not children. |
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The Early Years Educator - Children’s minister promises to ‘look closely’ at top-slicing of early years funding
Kathy Oxtoby
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Children’s minister Claire Coutinho has pledged to ‘look closely’ at the percentage of early years funding that local authorities can keep back from providers in the Early Years Funding Formula. |
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The Independent - One in five aren’t taking any paternity leave amid financial concerns, research shows
Maya Oppenheim |
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A study by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) found that one in five fathers are not taking any paternity leave, mainly because they cannot afford to reduce their income, with further figures showing that half of families struggle with money when fathers go on paternity leave. Another half said they did not feel able to take enough time off work to support their families. |
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The Mirror - Teachers warn kids' attention span 'shorter than ever' and behaviour worse since Covid
Lizzy Buchan
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The poll commissioned by Kapow Primary of 504 primary and early years teachers in schools in England, found 84% agree that primary children's attention span is 'shorter than ever' post-Covid. |
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Grazia – ‘The Childcare Sector Is In Crisis… Childminders Are Suffering Too’
Rachel Carrell |
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Founder of Koru Kids, Rachel Carrell, reveals the company are suspending their childminding support service amid continuing strife for the sector. |
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TES - SEND: Plea for Reception place funding for nurseries
Matilda Martin |
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There is an ‘urgent need’ to fund nursery schools to offer specialist Reception places because of a shortage of special-school or appropriate primary school places for young children with SEND, warn sector leaders. |
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Nursery World - ‘Unacceptable’ that changes to Ofsted inspections only apply to schools and not early years
Katy Morton |
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The sector has expressed its frustration at Ofsted for failing to recognise the impact of inspections on early years providers with the majority of its reforms applying to only schools. |
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Campaigns, Blogposts, Podcasts and more
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Nexus - Baby centred art project is showcased on Metro trains
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A new art project which offers tips and information for new parents was showcased on the Tyne and Wear Metro for the duration of Infant Mental Health Awareness Week (12th-18th June). The images feature teddy bears made from baby clothes, alongside quotes and tips from a range of baby and parenting experts.
The project was developed by Dr Christina Kolaiti, Senior Lecturer in Photography at York St John University in collaboration with The Parent-Infant Foundation, The Association of Child Psychotherapists, Cosleepy, Raised Good, Nurture Neuroscience and The Institute of Child Psychology. |
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Which? - Get Answers podcast: what can I do about the rising cost of childcare? |
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A panel of experts explore what parents are entitled to when it comes to childcare. They also discuss free things to do with the kids and explain how government funded support schemes are changing. |
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New Book - How our brains develop from embryo to adolescent
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Rob Abbott, Clinical Director with Arun Counselling in Littlehampton and Professor Esther Burkitt from the University of Chichester have published the new edition of their best-selling book, Child Development and the Brain. |
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Fabulous - Baby, Bank On Us |
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The cost-of-living crisis has left many families with young children in incredible financial hardship. To support struggling parents, Fabulous is launching Baby, Bank On Us, in partnership with Save the Children, Little Village and baby banks across the UK. Baby banks, which are championed by The Princess of Wales, respond to two challenges: easing the deepening poverty we see in communities and helps the environment by swapping, sharing and reusing products.
The initiative has three aims: 1. Increasing local support by calling on the public to volunteer time and donate items to their nearest baby bank. 2. Raising vital funds to support the work of baby banks. 3. Uniting baby banks across the UK by increasing understanding and raising awareness of the vital work they do, and the benefits this brings families. Plus, improving resource sharing.
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EEF - Eyes on the Early Years: Professional Development conversations in action – interactive reading |
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Nicola Cherry, introduces the EEF’s new “Eyes on the Early Years” video which explores using the professional development conversation cycle tool to embed ‘interactive reading’ in settings. |
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City of York Council - Pioneering speech and language programme shortlisted for national award
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City of York Council and York and Scarborough NHS Foundation Trust’s Early Talk for York programme has been shortlisted for an award in the ‘Delivering Better Outcomes’ category at this year’s prestigious Municipal Journal Awards.
The programme, which was rolled out across the city last year following a successful pilot in the west of York, aims to improve the communication and language outcomes for children aged 0 to 5 years.
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Research and Policy Developments
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BookTrust - Children’s reading habits in the early years |
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New research from BookTrust has found that almost a quarter of parents and carers from low-income backgrounds (23%) are not sharing books with their children before their first birthday - despite the majority (95%) seeing reading as an important thing to do. Their research suggests that a lack of time and confidence are the main barriers preventing parents from low-income backgrounds from reading with their children.
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University of Oxford - Children who are breastfed for a year are more likely to achieve higher grades at GCSE level |
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Researchers at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford Population health have found that children who are breastfed for at least 12 months may be up to 39% more likely to achieve higher grades in their English and Maths GCSEs when compared with children who were not breastfed. |
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COSLA – Getting In Early: Local Government’s Role in Delivering Early Learning and Childcare |
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“Getting in Early”, a new report highlighting the central role of Local Scottish Government in delivering funded early learning and childcare. Since August 2021, all 3 and 4-year-olds and eligible 2-year-olds in Scotland have been able to access up to 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare per year (which equates to around 30 hours a week during term-time), representing a near doubling of the previous entitlement.
Working in close partnership with Scottish Government and ELC providers in the private, voluntary and childminding sectors, local authorities have successfully rolled out this significant expansion and are continuing to provide positive opportunities for play, learning and development.
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The Voice of Early Childhood – An Early Years Conference 2023 |
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8th July, Nottingham Trent University
Cost: £76.55
The Voice of Early Childhood is the innovative, inclusiveand insightful platform for early childhood advocacy and high quality content.The conference brings together quality content and advocacy all in one shared,reflective and safe space as an in person event.
Why should you attend the early years conference?
- To hear about latest thinking around children’sdevelopment and learning - To hear from pioneering and well respected earlychildhood specialists - To take part in active reflection, discussionand debate - To network with other educators, leaders andsettings - To gain insight from our partners on the latestresources and business solutions
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The Social Neuroscience of Relationships, Attachment & Caregiving Conference |
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14th-15th August, University of Essex in Colchester & online.
Prof Tsachi Ein-Dor and Dr Pascal Vrticka have announced a two-day hybrid conference on the topic of The Social Neuroscience of Relationships, Attachment and Caregiving.
Each of the two conference days will feature four keynotes on central issues within the social neuroscience of relationships, attachment & caregiving by well-known expert speakers within the field.
Topics will include most recent theory and research as part of the two neuroanatomical models of organised and disorganised human attachment (NAMA & NAMDA), the maternal brain, homeostasis, allostasis & co-regulation, genetics & epigenetics, oxytocin and social touch.
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