Government announces plans to improve early years care
The Government today announced a range of measures aimed at improving early care of children, including initiatives on Sure Start and the right to ask for more flexible free childcare.
With the General Election looming closer, the Government’s announcement highlights an initiative to give every expectant parent a personal introduction to their local Sure Start centre and their own Sure Start contact to give them advice throughout pregnancy and their child’s early years. Sure Start centres, which provide help and advice on parenting, childcare, health and employment, are likely to be a key battleground in the fight for mothers’ votes in the election, with Labour claiming the Conservatives will cut it back.
The announcement came as the Government reached its target of 3,500 Sure Start Children’s Centres throughout the country.
It includes plans to give parents the right to be able to ask their local authority to find childcare for their three and four year olds who qualify for free early learning “at the time they want and which suits their needs”. From 2012 parents will be able to spread their free entitlement, which increases to 15 hours a week in September, over a whole year. The Government says this will help parents balance childcare with employment or training, and will enable them to budget consistently across the year.
Other initiatives being announced today include:
- improvements to maternity and early years services for families, including an offer to accommodate fathers to stay overnight at hospitals after their children are born, “where necessary and appropriate”
- a review of standards of nursery food
Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools, Children and Families, said: “Children’s centres are at the heart of our drive to improve early years services. In the same way all families can access GPs and schools, children’s centres will be providing a universal service to all parents - especially the most disadvantaged.”
The maternity and early years review has a package of measures to help all families, including:
- consulting on offering all women an assessment of health and social care needs, risks and choices by/at the 12th week of pregnancy
- looking into offering choice of place of birth
- extending the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) to all young, vulnerable families within 5 years, subject to evaluation
- a “family start” meeting where the family is invited to meet with a health visitor or healthy child team between 12 and 26 weeks of pregnancy
- promoting the benefits of talking and reading to babies and infants, to develop their speech and language skills
- providing advice and support on nutrition and smoking for parents-to-be.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: "A child’s lifelong health, happiness and achievements are heavily influenced by their experience before birth and in their earliest years. That’s why it’s important that we give all families the support they need, and that they know what they are entitled to and can expect throughout pregnancy and beyond.”
"We know that accessing services early can make a big difference in helping new parents to be better equipped to make choices about their care and, ultimately, in improving outcomes for the baby."
The Government has also asked a new Advisory Panel on early years nutrition to find out what more it should be doing to provide young children with good quality, healthy meals.
The new Advisory Panel on early years nutrition will build on the findings of a new Summary Report published by the School Food Trust (SFT), which says that consistent guidance on nursery food is lacking.
The Panel, which will report in August, has been asked to:
- develop recommendations on improved guidance to support healthy and nutritious food and drink in nurseries
- evaluate the current provision and guidance available on early years food and drink, including consulting widely with practitioners, parents and children
- examine the case for strengthened or mandatory food standards in early years settings, to bring them more in line with current school food standards
- consider the cost of ingredients, equipment and facilities to provide healthy food in nurseries
- examine the types of food being served, including portion size, salt levels and nutritional value
- look at potential training and guidance for early years staff
- provide recommendations on the way forward for Government and local authorities.
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