1,000th EYP is named

Poonam Puri of Staffordshire was named by the Children's Workforce Development Council as the 1,000th person to achieve EYPS since its launch in July 2006.

Until July this year Ms Puri worked at Greenfield Children's Centre in Walsall. She has just started a new job in Staffordshire Council's Early Years and Childcare team.

She said, 'It has been a challenge and, at times, hard work, but it has definitely been worth it. I can already see how it makes a difference to my practice and to the quality of care and education we provide for children.'

Jane Haywood, chief executive of the CWDC, said, ' We are delighted to be awarding the 1,000th status to Poonam. The pace of EYPS has been astounding, and we are pleased that thousands of children are already benefiting from an Early Years Professional working in their setting.'

She added, 'We hope the wealth of information we now have available will help promote the benefits of the status to those already working in early years, and will attract more workers to this vital sector.'

Children's minister Beverley Hughes said candidates who achieve EYPS had reached the 'gold standard' in the sector. She added, 'Our new £175m Graduate Leader Fund will help develop a more highly skilled early years workforce and ensure that every full daycare nursery can employ an EYP like Poonam.'

Further information: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk.