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| home> newsletter archive 2008 > under5s newsletter no.19 |
| under5s - under5s newsletter no.19 |
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| Under5s Newsletter No.19 |
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This week 1. Did you know
1. DID YOU KNOW
DAYCARE TRUST TO RELEASE FINDINGS ON CHILDCARE AND BME FAMILIES The findings of the Daycare Trust's Ensuring Equality project, sponsored by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, will be launched at the British Academy, London, at 9.30am on Wednesday May 21st. To find out more please email: jcaluori@daycaretrust.org.uk Early years education helps level the playing field for children in poverty, and high-quality childcare helps poor parents to work and earn money. So, with around two-thirds of black and minority ethnic (BME) families living below the poverty line, why does childcare in the UK still wear a largely white, middle-class face? And why are so many families from minority communities not taking up childcare places? This puzzle is at the heart of a wide-ranging investigation of BME families and childcare by Daycare Trust, due to report its findings on May 21st. The Ensuring Equality project talked to parents and childcare workers across England to explore attitudes to early childhood education and care among ethnic communities, and levels of ethnic diversity in childcare settings. The research shows that there is a huge range of needs, experiences and cultural values among BME families, allowing no "one size fits all" analysis of their problems. A recent strand of the project interviewed childcare workers from various ethnic backgrounds at children's centres across England on how to engage BME families. The research highlighted the many ways in which children's centres in particular worked with BME families to engage with and celebrate the wide range of cultures and ethnicities in the UK. The final phase of the research is captured in a report called Local approaches to ensuring childcare for BME families, examining how local authorities monitor ethnic diversity in childcare and how this monitoring is being used to encourage take up of services by BME communities. The report highlights how, although the level of monitoring of ethnic monitoring in childcare varies considerably between local authorities, it appears to be improving, partly due to the recent Childcare Sufficiency Assessment exercise. Report author Jonathan Rallings said "We found a mixed picture out there currently, with local authorities approaching monitoring of ethnicity in childcare from different starting points with different methods. However, our findings suggest that monitoring is a priority area for many authorities now because it underpins successful engagement with all communities, helping raise awareness of services available and building take-up. With the increased migration both within and from outside the UK this is an issue that is increasingly important in all areas of the country." Additionally the report also emphasises
the importance of obtaining qualitative data from BME communities about
their perceptions and experiences of childcare, and recommends that priority
is given to collecting data that reflects the needs of staff conducting
outreach and take up activity.
Further details are available on Daycare
Trust's website, http://www.daycaretrust.org.uk.
2. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK FUNKY FARM From the Lancashire Grid for Learning. Meet Doug the sheepdog and here all the farm animals http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/literacy/lit_site/html/fiction/bigbooks/ffarm/index.html
3. UNDER5S DOWNLOAD CENTRE DON'T FORGET - you can find 24 different plans in the Download Centre and all of our planning is available to download today. Don't miss the fantastic Let's Sign signing resources. Childminders - if you are struggling with Birth to Three, take a look at the Birth to Three Planning Guidance. http://cnb-host4.clickandbuild.com/cnb/shop/under5s?op=catalogue-categories-null EARLY LEARNING FORUMS Join Us ! To discuss early years issues. To find support and advice on early years education. To relax and chat amongst friends. Come on in and have a look... |
| 4. DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
JUNE 02 National Childcare Week (runs to June
09)
http://www.under5s.co.uk/eandf.html#Events%20and%20Festivals
5. NEWS £35m FOR PARENTS WITH DISABLED CHILDREN TO GET EASIER ACCESS TO CHILDCARE Parents with disabled children are to get
easier access to childcare, thanks to £35million of Government pilot
projects, announced today by Children's Minister Beverley Hughes.
The aims of the projects are to address the concerns of parents of disabled children, who often struggle to find suitable childcare, are less likely to be in work and whose children are consequently more likely to live in a poor household. The Disabled Children's Access to Childcare projects will be tested in 10 local areas, and could be replicated across the country if successful. Projects include: . New centres of excellence for disabled children in children's centres next to special schools. These would act as hubs for disabled children's services, providing them where possible, or signposting to other appropriate centres; . New specialist training for childminders and nursery workers on how to care for and educate disabled children; . A network of specialist childminders to make it easier for parents to find flexible childcare that meets their needs (including overnight and home care) and to help disabled children to access play and leisure activities in their own communities; . Recruiting parent champions to explain and promote the needs of BME disabled children and asking them for ideas on how to make sure these children are included; . Encouraging university and gap year students to take on caring roles and matching them with disabled young people who have shared interests and may have outgrown after school activities provided for younger children; . Formalised peer to peer support for parents, sharing information on what is available and what works. Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said: "Ensuring that parents of disabled children have access to good, high quality childcare is a key part of this Government's work on social justice, working to lift children and their families out of poverty, and give disabled children the same opportunities as other children have. "We know from national and international research that good, high quality childcare can have a positive impact on a child's education and, ultimately, future life chances. It is crucial that disabled children get these opportunities too." The first wave of 10 pilot areas that will get an initial share of the £35 million fund are: Northumberland, Sefton, Bradford, Nottinghamshire, Solihull, Luton, Barking & Dagenham, Camden, Oxfordshire and Cornwall. Money will be available from the £35m for more LAs to join the initial 10 over the passage of the project. This is being announced on the same day as the Aiming High for Disabled Children conference in which Children's Secretary Ed Balls and Schools Minister Lord Andrew Adonis will unveil new guidance for schools on tackling bullying of disabled children and those with special educational needs. Key disabled children's charities such
as the National Children's Bureau, Mencap, Contact a Family and the Council
for Disabled Children, have helped the Department develop the project,
so that the pilots cover what parents want and children need.
Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children and Board Member for the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign, said: "Childcare is an essential part of the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme, so we welcome the announcement of these pilot areas today. The Government has already placed a powerful new duty on local authorities to secure a sufficient supply of childcare in their area. The pilots are vital to help us find out how to make this duty work to meet the needs of disabled children and their families. We will be urging the pilot authorities to be ambitious in their plans to make sure the most disadvantaged families get the support they need." The main issues to be addressed by the first wave of pilots include: the shortage of childcare places for disabled children, shortage of breakfast/after school places and holiday clubs, lack of flexibility for caring for able bodied and disabled children at the same time, lack of appropriately skilled staff, including special education needs co-ordinating officers, high costs of childcare that aren't taken into account by the Disability Living Allowance, and late assessments of children's disabilities. Childcare can help disabled children develop
through contact with their peers which they may otherwise lack, may facilitate
their entry and inclusion in school, and help reduce family stress through
giving them a break from their caring responsibilities.
NDNA CYMRU WELCOMES INCREASE IN BUSINESS RATE SUPPORT Relief for Nurseries in Wales NDNA welcomes new movement on business
rates from Welsh Assembly Government and announces it is running business
rates survey
National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) today welcomed the proposal from the Welsh Assembly Government to increase business rate relief for childcare providers to 50% and expand the rateable value threshold for relief from £2,000 to £12,000. NDNA also revealed this consultation comes at a time when it is surveying members about their experiences of business rates.
The Welsh Assembly Government is currently consulting on proposals to extend the provision of rates relief to certain businesses, including those in the childcare sector. NDNA has recently issued a questionnaire to all members to discover more about the current picture with business rates, if providers have lodged successful appeals and any impact the forthcoming supplementary business rates will have. For some time NDNA has been calling for increased relief for childcare businesses, and the organisation says that these proposals are something that also need to be considered by the Government for England and Scotland.
Purnima Tanuku, Chief Executive of NDNA
comments: "We are pleased to see that the Welsh Assembly Government has
recognised that there is a need for increased business rate relief in the
childcare sector, and is proposing an increase in both the rateable value
threshold and the relief available. This is a positive move and recognises
that nurseries are providing a highly valuable service to families and
will also help support the financial sustainability of settings. For a
number of years NDNA has been calling for a special business rates category
for day nurseries and we hope that many nurseries will benefit. However,
in some areas nurseries will be above a rateable value of £12,000
and we do question how many settings will be eligible. Many nurseries are
committed to providing the highest quality of care and ensure that they
have lots of space for children to play, run and learn but this can increase
their rateable value and thus some nurseries are being 'penalised' for
pro!
Purnima adds: "Business rates and the impact
they have upon sustainability are a real area of concern for many nurseries,
and NDNA is currently surveying members about what they pay in terms of
business rates, how this affects finances and if they have been successful
in reducing what they pay. This will help NDNA's evidence base and calls
for a category that recognises how nurseries are community assets that
are vital to local people. Ultimately when business rates go up, nurseries
face little choice but to eventually pass this cost on to parents. In some
cases, NDNA has heard of increases of up to 50%. We look forward to responding
to this consultation, and hope that this new relief is introduced soon
and expanded to support more nursery businesses."
MINISTER ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO EMBRACE THE SPIRIT OF PLAY Giving children the opportunity to experiment, explore and take natural risks through play is an essential part of the healthy development of all children, Minister for Children, Jane Hutt has said. Addressing a conference on adventure play, the Minister said that play is essential to the emotional and social needs of children as well as encouraging them to become more active. The Minister highlighted the use of the outdoor environment as an important element in children's play needs as well as it being a key part of the delivery of the foundation phase - a play-based curriculum for three to seven year olds tailored to the individual needs of the child. Jane Hutt said: Traditionally children have always enjoyed playing outside in natural environments. It is important they have the opportunity to get pleasure from the outdoors, whether it be by building dens or climbing trees. Our Foundation Phase places great importance on staff using the outdoors as another learning environment where children can work on a daily basis. As well as helping to improve their physical fitness, children get to experience nature at first hand - how the weather changes and how plants and animals react to the different seasons as well as a general appreciation of the outdoors. The Assembly Government has supported the establishment of Learning Landscapes Cymru, who, over coming years will be able to promote and support Welsh primary schools to develop their outdoor learning areas. We have also supported play through our Cymorth programme - with guidance and funding being used to promote the development of local play strategies. We intend to take forward the good practice in play development that Cymorth has funded. This conference highlights the importance
of outdoor play. I hope we in Wales continue to break new ground
in play thinking and to provide the best play opportunities for our children
and young people.
6. INTERNATIONAL NEWS AUSTRALIA Early childhood initiatives to benefit individuals, the community and the economy All Australian children will have access to early learning programs in the year before formal schooling, delivered by a university qualified teacher as part of a major new investment in early childhood development, to be fully implemented by 2013. The Government will invest around $2.4 billion over the next five years on integrated early childhood initiatives that will provide high quality services for young children and help build a productive, modern economy for Australia's future. Over the next five years, the Rudd Government will invest $533.5 million to provide all Australian children, including Indigenous children living in remote communities, with access to affordable early learning programs delivered by a qualified teacher. All children will have access to 15 hours a week of early learning programs for 40 weeks a year in the year before formal schooling. The Government will provide $114.5 million over the next four years to establish 38 child care centres, including six autism-specific centres. This measure is the first phase of the Government's commitment to establish 260 child care centres on school sites and community land. This Budget will also deliver $22.2 million over four years to develop rigorous new quality national standards for child care and preschool. A new five category quality rating system will be introduced to give parents more information about their child care centre or preschool, and to drive improvement in the quality of child care. The Rudd Government will invest $1.6 billion over four years to help working families meet higher costs of living by increasing the Child Care Tax Rebate (CCTR) from 30% to 50% of out of pocket costs and by paying the rebate quarterly. The Government will also increase the CCTR cap from $4354 to $7500. Other initiatives include: $126.6 million for a National Early Years
Workforce Strategy;
Together these new investments are aimed at meeting the Government's commitment to creating an affordable, accessible and high quality early childhood platform for all Australian families. USA EAST YAKIMA SET TO HELP YOUNGEST RESIDENTS THRIVE Ready by Five Kicks Off with $5 Million for Expanded Early Learning Services and Planning Capital from Gates Foundation and Thrive by Five Washington YAKIMA - Thrive by Five Washington and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced today $5 million for the first round of funding for Ready by Five, a community partnership that will substantially increase access to high-quality early learning opportunities for children from birth to age 5 in the partnership's project area of East Yakima. Ready by Five (formerly known as the East
Yakima Early Learning Initiative) will provide parents and caregivers with
education and support to help develop children's potential and creativity,
helping to ensure that all children in this community are ready to succeed
in school and thrive in life. With this grant, Ready by Five will be able
to deliver a continuum of programs for children from birth to age 5, their
parents and caregivers that includes home visitation programs for expectant
families and families with young children, parenting support activities,
and a kindergarten transition program that will help young children adapt
to their new surroundings. In addition, a quality improvement system will
be developed to improve the care of children attending licensed child care
centers. About $500,000 in design and planning
Proposals submitted by the communities of East Yakima and White Center, located south of Seattle, to design community-wide early networks for children from birth to age 5 were chosen by the Gates Foundation and Thrive by Five Washington more than a year ago. Plans and funding for White Center were announced this past February. The two communities will field test the best early learning approaches for children and families and serve as models for what can be done at the local and state levels to improve early learning opportunities for all children. "One of my priorities is to help ensure that children get the support they need to succeed in school and in life," said Gov. Chris Gregoire, co-chair of the Thrive by Five Washington board of directors. "It's exciting to see the Yakima community come together to support its young children and their families." Stakeholders from 42 organizations in the Yakima area spent more than 18 months convening and developing business plans for Ready by Five to make high-quality early learning opportunities in their community - whether at home or in child care centers - available to families with young children. This grant funds the first phase of those plans. Educational Service District 105 will administer the funds. "East Yakima is a community with great promise," said Dr. Graciela Italiano-Thomas, president and CEO of Thrive by Five Washington. "The strong partnerships among parents, the Yakima School District, health, social service, and community organizations, caregivers and public agencies are a testament to the city of Yakima's dedication to ensuring all young children in their community enter school ready to succeed." "Providing high-quality, stimulating early learning opportunities for young children is one of the smartest investments we can make in our state's future," said Bill Gates Sr., co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Thrive by Five Washington board of directors. "We'll take what we learn in Yakima and share those lessons throughout our state, so that families across Washington will benefit from this investment." Education and outreach services in the
East Yakima project area also will include an early learning center for
which the state Legislature allocated $100,000 this year. Additional funds
for construction will come from a capital campaign managed by Ready by
Five. Using the Educare model first developed in Chicago, the center will
include space for preschool programs and parenting classes taught by credentialed
instructors and will also provide a focal point for the community. Details
concerning the construction of the center are
Located in south central Washington, Yakima is renowned as an agricultural center. Of Yakima's 83,000 residents, 35 percent are Hispanic or Latino. An additional 5.4 percent of residents are African American, Native American or Asian. More than half of the city's nearly 9,000 children under age 5 live in poverty. As is true throughout the nation, significant numbers of children here start kindergarten without the skills needed for success. Ready by Five (www.readybyfive.org) marks
an important next step in Thrive by Five Washington's efforts to improve
the state's early learning infrastructure. Today, as many as half of Washington
state's kindergartners begin school without the basic skills they need,
such as the ability to recognize letters of the alphabet or the ability
to follow directions and play well with others. Researchers have found
that children who start school behind their peers - unless helped with
specific programs - often stay behind and are more likely to drop out
A 2007 survey by the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University ranks Washington state 29th in the nation in the percentage of 4-year-olds who have access to preschool. Ready by Five and other Thrive by Five Washington programs are taking steps to address this need. REPORT: WHAT GOOD PRE-K COSTS... BEFORE IT PAYS BIG DIVIDENDS New per-child, per-hour analysis informs ongoing debate on pre-k expansion In light of the growing demand for high-quality pre-kindergarten programs and concerns about poor quality programs in some of the country's largest states, a report released today by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) helps decision makers estimate the costs of quality improvements. The report, "Meaningful Investments in Pre-K: Estimating the Per-Child Costs of Quality Programs," examines the costs associated with improvements to teacher education (and pay) and class-size, two major components of pre-k that have a large impact on child outcomes. By these criteria, three of the largest states in the country-California, Florida, and Texas-have poor quality pre-k programs. "We needed to look at the numbers behind quality early education because, as research reveals, quality is key to effectiveness and requires substantial investments," said Barbara Gault, vice president and director of research at the Institute for Women's Policy Research. "Our data will inform the ongoing national conversation among policymakers about what it means to ensure that children enter school ready to learn and succeed." Collectively, 38 states are investing nearly $5 billion this year-a record amount-to provide voluntary pre-k programs. However, as the report emphasizes children, families and communities will not see benefits from these investments unless support programs that meet specific high-quality standards which include low teacher-to-child ratios, small class sizes, and experienced, well-compensated teachers with good credentials. "In light of increasing fiscal challenges across the country, state and federal leaders must make difficult decisions about where to invest public dollars," said Erica Williams, IWPR study director. "We hope this analysis helps them support expansion of high-quality pre-k. We know it is an investment that will yield substantial returns." The report was jointly funded by Pre-K Now and the National Institute for Early Education Research. http://www.preknow.org/documents/meaningfulinvestmentsreport_may2008.pdf
7. MORE EDUCATIONAL SITES For more educational sites visit Sites for Teachers http://www.sitesforteachers.com/perl/rankem.pcgi?id=under5s
Kind regards
The Under5s Team
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