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To the Point - Will local authorities be brave?

The release of Supporting Families in the Foundation Years document last month was an important step in the Government's plans for a review of early years practice and intervention.

There is much to commend this approach, such as: increasing the number of health visitors; strengthening family involvement in children's learning and development; developing the professional qualification level of the early years workforce (including addressing an inherent gender imbalance); and focusing support and intervention on the earliest years of life.

It is good that the work of MPs Frank Field and Graham Allen has been taken so seriously, but the devil will be in the detail. The document is more than 80 pages long and lacks clarity on some of the proposed recommendations. It also raises some significant concerns, for me, as some of the areas of principle and practice appear contradictory.

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