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Pre-school Learning Alliance to be involved in 100 children's centres by 2008

NEWS RELEASE

17 June 2005

Pre-school Learning Alliance to be involved in 100 children's centres by 2008

Steve Alexander, Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance will today set out ambitious plans for the organisation. Targets include the Alliance involvement in 100 Children’s Centres by mid 2008, parent forums in every setting and a major initiative to increase qualifications of early years staff. He will also call for government commitment to real choice for parents and diversity of provision in early years education in order that their agenda for quality and affordable childcare can be met.

Mr Alexander will speak in front of an audience of 700 pre-school staff and volunteers at Supporting Choice in Childcare, the National Conference of the Pre-school Learning Alliance in West London. Other speakers at the conference, which is part of National Sure Start Month, include the Rt Hon Ruth Kelly MP, Secretary of State for Education and Skills by video, Patrick Diamond, the Number Ten Policy Directorate adviser on education, currently on sabbatical, and Annabel Karmel, one of the UK’s leading authors on nutrition for children under five.

Steve Alexander will say:

“The Pre-school Learning Alliance can help to deliver the government’s agenda. We have created nearly 30,000 new childcare places in last three years. We are involved in more Sure Start projects than any other organisation. But as the largest voluntary sector provider of early years care, we cannot afford to stand still.”

Steve Alexander continued:

“I am announcing today that over the next three years the Alliance plans to manage daycare provision in 100 Children’s Centres, become actively involved in the Extended Schools Initiative, create parent forums in all of our settings, ensure all our provision has been through our quality accreditation process and meets the Investors in Children standard, encourage half a million parents to participate in family learning and increase qualifications among all our early years staff. This is an ambitious programme which demonstrates our intention to be a major part of the future of early years and childcare”.

“However, we are concerned that choice for parents, which we believe in passionately, could be under threat as the government’s ten year childcare strategy is implemented. For diversity and choice to flourish, all local authorities need to work as effectively in partnership with the voluntary and private sectors as the best do now. There is a long way to go on this. The need for true partnership needs to be written into the forthcoming Childcare Bill. Otherwise, the valuable contribution of voluntary sector provision may be lost over the long term. All sectors have a lot to offer. The voluntary sector can bring close links with the community as pre-schools are community run, with high levels of parental involvement, huge commitment and high quality training for staff and volunteers.”

Patrick Diamond, Number Ten Policy Directorate Adviser on education, will say:

"Ultimately, it's about social change — not top-down change imposed by the central state. Bottom-up change in which government works with people, so they find the route to their own salvation. This is where the voluntary sector has such rich potential, not just in reforming public services, but also in spreading opportunity and deepening aspiration in our country."

"A vibrant voluntary sector — forged from the combined efforts of millions of staff and unpaid volunteers — is the bedrock of a modern civil society based on active citizenship."

Feeding Young Imaginations

The conference will also hear an update on the charity’s campaign ‘Feeding Young Imaginations’, launched a year ago in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF). The campaign is aimed at providing materials and training for pre-school leaders and parents on nutrition and healthy eating for the under fives.

Annabel Karmel, the author of a range of highly successful cookery books for parents of pre-school age children, said:

“I am delighted to join the Pre-school Learning Alliance’s campaign to improve the quality of food and nutrition for the under fives. There has been, rightly, a major focus on the need to improve school food. However, it is before school age that children’s food preferences and habits are established. A well-stocked larder is the best form of preventive medicine. What we feed our children today will determine their future tomorrow. Investing time and resources in these early years will have a major impact on the nation's future health and development. The time is right to focus on enhancing the quality of food for the under fives and on supporting parents and pre-school leaders in making this happen.”

The campaign will consist of the following elements in the coming year:

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Andrew Fletcher
Pre-school Learning Alliance
T: 020 7278 9037
Out of hours press calls: 07979 531 130
E: Andrew Fletcher

Notes for Editors:

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