Nursery World - Wales gears up for Early Support scheme

Practitioners and parents in Wales will be finding out more about the new Early Support programme to improve the quality of services for disabled pre-school children and their families at a series of information days, ahead of the programme's national launch in September.

The umbrella organisation Children in Wales is leading the partnershipto develop Early Support information and training.

The Early Support programme was developed in England to providejoined-up services for disabled children under the age of five.

Lynne Hill, policy director at Children in Wales, said, 'We are excitedand enthusiastic about delivering this in Wales and really want to seethe project take off. The information days are the first opportunity toengage practitioners in Wales and to let them know that the EarlySupport programme is coming'.

The Welsh Assembly Government agreed in February to implement EarlySupport across all 22 local authorities in Wales (News, 5 February).Councils and health authorities are to adopt a package of Early Supportmaterials and training.

The first information day took place on 23 March in Llandrindod Wells.There will be two more information days on 10 and 12 June in South WestWales and Wrexham.

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