The contract was announced last week at the Early Childhood Forum's conference, 'Working with children birth to three', held in Birmingham. Ann Langston, project manager of the team that produced the framework, said it was 'great news for children and all the people who care for them'.
She added, 'The Birth to Three Matters pack has been welcomed overwhelmingly by practitioners. They are now very excited about the prospect of this training.'
The project's director, Professor Lesley Abbott, said the Department for Education and Skills 'clearly wants the training to roll out as quickly as possible'.
Letters will be sent out over the next few weeks inviting Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships to nominate trainers to take part in one-day conferences across nine regions in England in January and February.
Those attending must have completed the first part of the training, which will be delivered as a distance learning course and is intended to give them the chance to become familiar with the materials.
The training programme is being supported by the Early Childhood Unit at the National Children's Bureau. Sue Owen, the unit's director, said, 'The challenge now for trainers in EYDCPs is to run with this and ensure that the information is cascaded out within the sector.'
Margaret Hodge, minister for children, had been due to attend the conference to unveil details of the training but cancelled at the last minute because of the controversy surrounding comments she made in a letter to the BBC.
The under-threes framework to support children in their earliest years was launched in November 2002 and distributed to all registered childminders, day nurseries and EYDCPs in England.
