Literacy news
Families and effective services are key to improving children’s life chances, says Frank Field poverty review.
14 Dec 2010
Frank Field’s review The Foundation Years: preventing poor children becoming poor adults has been published, and recommends that the Government “address the issue of child poverty in a fundamentally different way if it is to make a real change to children’s life chances as adults.”
The Review emphasises the importance of the first years of a child’s life and advocates the use of the term Foundation Years to define the period from conception to age five. “The Foundation Years should become the first pillar of a new tripartite education system: the Foundation Years leading to school years leading to further, higher and continuing education.“ Focussing provision on the earliest years of a child’s life is “the most effective and cost-effective way to help and support young families.”
The Review also points to the “overwhelming” evidence that shows that it is “family background, parental education, good parenting and the opportunities for learning and development in those crucial years that together matter more to children than money, in determining whether their potential is realised in adult life.”
Nothing can be achieved without working with parents.
The Review also upholds the importance of good services, including health services, Children’s Centres and childcare. Currently, it claims, “GPs, midwives, health visitors, hospital services, Children’s Centres and private and voluntary sector nurseries together provide fragmented services that are neither well understood nor easily accessed by all of those who might benefit most.”
Sure Start Children’s Centres should refocus on their original purpose of targeting support to the most disadvantaged. Local Authorities should open up the commissioning of Children’s Centres, or the services within them, to service providers from all sectors to ensure efficiencies are made. Some services should still be universal, with all Centres aiming to become inclusive, non-stigmatising hubs of the community.
Children’s Centres should ensure all new parents are encouraged to take advantage of a parenting course. Midwives and health visitors should work closely with Centres and ensure a consistency of service is provided, with continuity between the more medical pre birth services and increasingly educational post natal work.
Acknowledging current drive to reduce the budget deficit, the Review calls for increased funding to be “targeted at those factors we know matter most in the early years: high quality and consistent support for parents during pregnancy, and in the early years, support for better parenting; support for a good home learning environment; and, high quality childcare.”
You can view the National Literacy Trust's policy report here or download the Review here.
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