The Government’s Plan For Change: Our Response

We’re pleased to see the Government’s focus on early years education, which we’ve urged as a priority, and especially the specific mention of social as well as academic skills, which are key to a child’s development.  

The root causes of children not meeting developmental milestones are complex – a view shared by our members leading work in this area. To shift outcomes, we need to support families holistically as well as increase access to quality childcare. 

We must stay focused on long-term outcomes, and we hope the work towards these targets includes joining up systems in every community to identify and meet needs at an early stage. While the early years are hugely important, we must also keep working to support older children who are already moving through the education system.