An independent report, Early Years Development Through Play for Traveller Children, assesses The Toybox scheme, which was set up by early years organisation NIPPA and Save the Children in 2003 after it emerged that traveller children were three times less likely than settled children to attend pre-school.
The scheme involves weekly home visits to traveller sites where playworkers 'se toys, arts materials and books with young children to develop their communication, creative, motor, speech and language and social skills.
In 1999 traveller children accessing pre-school was only 18 per cent, Siobhan Fitzpatrick, NIPPA chief executive, told Nursery World. It is now 70 per cent. The programme doesn't just increase access to pre-school education, it acts as a bridge. The project, which initially received 503,400 from the Northern Ireland Executive Fund for Children, has been granted an extra Pounds 100,000 over the next two years to expand into other traveller settlement areas.
NIPPA employs a project co-ordinator, a part time administrator and seven part-time outreach playworkers and the scheme has so far worked with 273 children from nought to four years old.
Findings from the study show that playworkers made a significant impact in supporting parents and educating them about the importance of play in early years for a child's social and educational development. They also provide a vital link between families and health visitors and social workers.
Those children who enrol (in pre-school) after involvement with Toybox are, in the eyes of teachers, health visitors and play workers, more confident and better prepared in terms of social, physical and emotional skills, the report said.
The report, Early Years Development Through Play for Traveller Children can be downloaded at (Helen checking if report will be online)
