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Pre-school Learning Alliance supports “Every Parent Matters”

NEWS RELEASE

15 March 2007

Pre-school Learning Alliance supports “Every Parent Matters”

Steve Alexander, Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, the country’s largest voluntary provider of childcare said,

“Having championed and promoted the crucial importance of involving parents in their child’s early learning and development for over 40 years, the Alliance wholeheartedly supports the Government’s Every Parent Matters strategy.

We particularly welcome the extension across the whole country of the Parents, Early Years and Learning project (PEAL). This programme, with which the Alliance is involved, is supporting early years practitioners to help parents engage with their children’s learning. We hope that this extension of the PEAL project will see this work supported by mainstream, rather than project, funding.

The Alliance is delighted at the emphasis on fathers. Our work and research in this area evidences the call in Every Parent Matters for all early years staff within a setting to be committed to the ethos of engaging fathers and to recognise the long-term, far-reaching benefits of their involvement.

We also welcome both the Parents and Partners in Early Learning project (PPEL) and the new family learning course for parents and carers of pre-school children with literacy and numeracy needs. We anticipate opportunities therein for the Alliance to share its expertise in these areas.

In terms of parental engagement, the Alliance’s experience of reaching out to families suggests that programmes work best when they are welcoming and when the relationship between practitioner and parent is grounded in mutual trust and respect. Our work also demonstrates that services provided by community-based third sector organisations are perceived by families as particularly approachable and unthreatening.

In terms of supporting marginalised families, we hope the measures outlined in “Every Parent Matters” will see the current links between early years settings and local authorities and multi-agency working improved.

In its commitment to improving outcomes for children, the Alliance urges Government not to lose sight of the benefits that are gained by parents themselves through their engagement with their children’s learning and development. Supporting parents when their children are young and engaging them through family learning programmes, parent forums and pre-school committees, can also provide them with a first step back into learning and employment.”

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Kate Summerside
Pre-school Learning Alliance
T: 020 7697 2502
Out of hours press calls: 07956 499621
E: Kate Summerside

Notes for Editors:

  1. The Pre-school Learning Alliance is the largest voluntary sector provider of quality affordable childcare and education in England.
  2. Through direct provision and its membership of 15,000 nurseries, sessional pre-schools and parent and toddler groups, the Alliance supports over 800,000 children and their families in England. The Alliance also develops and runs family learning programmes, offers information and advice, runs acclaimed training and accreditation programmes and campaigns to influence early years policy and practice.
  3. For information about the Pre-school Learning Alliance, visit our website: www.pre-school.org.uk
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