Early Years

The early years work within Children in Wales concentrates specifically on the needs of the under eights and their families, and works with a wide range of organisations in all sectors.

Enquiries concerning this work should be directed to:

Lynne Hill
Policy Director
Tel 029 2034 2434

Eleri Griffiths
Development Officer
Tel: 029 2034 2434

Aims

The Early Years work aims to:

Raise awareness of the needs of young children
Improve policy and service provision for children across education, health, social services and the voluntary sector
Support the raising of professional standards of practice
Respond to the needs of young children and families in Wales and those who work with them

Services Provided

We offer:

Links with networks in the early years field
Consultancy and advice
Support for developing a coordinated approach to service planning
In service training, through a programme of multi-disciplinary conferences and seminars
A range of training materials
Research

What we do

Networking across Wales with:

22 local authorities - sharing information on partnership working and policy developments to:
Early years Development and Childcare Partnerships;
Sure Start Partnerships;
Early Years Forums and County Voluntary Councils;
Early years and Sure Start partnerships task groups - training, quality assurance, special educational needs
Under Eights Coordinators/Registration and Inspection Officers
Early Years Advisers;
Organisations - Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin, Wales PPA, National Childminding Association, Home Start Wales , SNAP Cymru, Chwarae Teg
Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales

Organising

Conferences and training seminars to disseminate latest information and research on early childhood issues
Campaigns across Wales to influence policy and government in Wales and Westminster

Supporting Parents

Developing support materials for parents of young children including The Healthy Child Resource materials, and "Us" a set of magazines to support Teenage Parents in groups or on a one to one basis.
Training programmes for health authorities, Sure Start Partnerships, voluntary organisations, community groups on setting up parenting support initiatives.
Developing a parenting database.
Contributing to the National Family Parenting Institute database of parenting services
Family Information Services in Wales

Early Years Forums and Networks and Other Work:-

Quality Assurance Scheme

Children in Wales has been working with a team of consultants to produce a unified Quality Assurance (QA) scheme for children aged 0-5 in childcare or those aged 3-5 in the Foundation Phase in funded non-maintained settings.

Flying Start Network

Children in Wales facilitates a Flying Start Network in Wales, bringing together the Flying Start Coordinators, at quarterly meetings, usually held in mid Wales.

The Integrated Children’s Centres All-Wales Network

Children in Wales facilitates an Integrated Children’s Centres All-Wales Network which aims to provide a point of contact for all the centres.

Early Years and Childcare Advisory Group

This Children in Wales group has now been re-established with its first full meeting held in October 2004.