Since the launch of Every Child Matters, children's services have been transformed. Crucially, we're building services around the needs of children and families, not professional structures, and above all, our approach is driven by what children want: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, and not living in poverty. These are what we recognise as essentials for today's families.
Through the Childcare Act, we are redrawing the boundaries of the welfare state, ensuring that good- quality early years education and childcare are part of what today's parents can expect and will give children the foundation they need to do well later on in life. There are now over 1.3 million childcare places and every three- and four-year-old has the right to a free part-time nursery place, to be extended to 15 hours by 2010.
But we still need to do more to engage the most disadvantaged children and parents. We also need to do more for disabled children and children in care - often overlooked and frequently left behind as other children go on to achieve their potential. The child who's in poor health or worried about what's going to happen when she gets home is unlikely to do herself justice in the classroom.
Sure Start children's centres provide vital services such as childcare, early years education, health and help into employment for over a million children and their parents in a one-stop centre in their local community.
There are now more than 1,250 centres giving access to a million children and by 2010, there will be 3,500 - one in every community.
Last month we published the Early Years Foundation Stage for nought to five-year-olds, which encourages learning through play, integrated early education and childcare so that children can develop intellectually, creatively, physically and emotionally. We know that early years is different from schools - not less important, but different - and we have invested a further 250m until 2008, to help the current workforce recognise the distinctive nature of early years and improve their qualifications, as research has shown us that highly qualified staff can ensure improved outcomes for children.
Extended schools are providing an essential service to further bolster the concept of providing education, childcare and extra-curricular activities - for example, sport, art and drama - and support for parents with an easy referral to specialist services. It should come as no surprise that our research shows that in extended schools, behaviour, attendance and results are improving more rapidly.
Children need many things in order to succeed in life, and professionals who work with them must address all their needs, but we're on the right track. We are putting the needs of children, young people and their families first, so every child gets the opportunities they deserve.
