Speaking at the 4children conference in Westminster, Naomi Eisenstadt, (pictured), senior research fellow in the Department of Education at Oxford University, praised the Government for maintaining the free entitlement of 15 hours a week for all three- and four-year-olds and for expanding Family Nurse Partnerships, but warned, ‘This notion that you can improve children’s outcomes without reducing the pressure on families is wrong. The cuts to childcare benefits are only going to create more pressure. This Government is very concerned with enhancing the capabilities of parents but less concerned about reducing the pressure on family life.’
Ms Eisenstadt, who was the first director of the Sure Start Unit and is former chief advisor of children’s services, also criticised the Government’s plan to focus Sure Start on the most disadvantaged families. She said, ‘I am nervous about the Government’s plans to target children’s centre services at the neediest – we know that children mixing is a very good thing. Children’s centres should be about welcoming whoever turns up.'
Ms Eisenstadt suggested that children’s centres could improve their take-up among disadvantaged families by building a link with their local benefit office. She said, ‘All families are in touch with some public service, but it can be very random as to which public service they have contact with. However, we know that disadvantaged families tend to have a relationship with benefit offices so it would make sense for benefit offices to link up with children’s centres.’
Children’s Minister Sarah Teather, who also spoke at the conference, called for help from the early years workforce in putting together the Government’s policy statement for the early years, which is due to be published in the summer.
She said, ‘I would like your help in addressing some of the issues. We need to encourage parents to prioritise quality over things like convenience; also how do we persuade disadvantaged families to take up the offer of a free place for two-year-olds? There is not much point in the Government putting the money in if people do not take up the offer.'
'For two-year-olds the quality of the setting is even more important than it is for older children. How do we support families better? And how can we support and improve the quality of the home learning environment? Finally, how do we do all of these things with limited resources and make sure children’s centres focus on the things that really work? These are the questions that we are trying to answer.’
