Abstract
In the past decade, the landscape of early-years services has undergone fundamental and far-reaching change. In 1999, the Government pledged to eradicate child poverty in the UK within a generation. This commitment reflected a wider ambition to ensure that every child has the best start in life and an equal opportunity to fulfil their potential. At about the same time, economic evidence from the US that early-years programmes could make a long-term difference to children’s lives was becoming highly influential and there was growing recognition of the need to rebalance service provision away from remedial support dealing with the symptoms of social exclusion towards greater investment in prevention. This was a major paradigm shift that resulted in substantial new investments and a radical transformation of provision for the pre-school age group.
We emphasize that this paper has been written in a private capacity and that the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Departments for whom we work.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bamfield, L. (2007): Born Unequal. Why we need a progressive pre-birth agenda. Fabian Society Policy Report, 61.
Belsky, J./ Melhuish, E./ Barnes, J./ Leyland, A./ Romaniuk H. (2006): Effects of Sure Start local programmes on children and families: early findings from a quasi-experimental cross sectional study. BMJ 332:1476 (24 June).
Blanden, J. (2006): Bucking the trend: What enables those who are disadvantaged in childhood to succeed later in life? < http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/WP31.pdf>.
Cabinet Office (2006): Social Exclusion Action Plan 2006. Daily Mail (2006), June 16th 2006.
DCSF (2006): DfES Children’s Services, The Childcare Market.
DWP (2007): Welfare Reform Green Paper 2007, http://www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/in-work-better-off/in-work-better-off.pdf.
Feinstein, L. (2007): Predicting adult life outcomes from earlier signals: modelling pathways through childhood, < http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk./media/B/B/cyp_policy review090107.pdf>.
Feinstein, L./ Sabates, R. (2006): Predicting adult life outcomes for earlier signals: identifying those at risk. Working paper available at < http://www.number-10.gov.uk/files/pdf/PMSU-report.pdf>.
Fergusson, D./ Horwood, L.J./ Lynskey, M. (1994): The childhoods of multiple problem adolescents: a 15-year longitudinal study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Vol 35 No 6, pp. 1125–1140.
Heckman, J./ Masterov, D. (2005): Skill Policies for Scotland. NBER Working Paper 11032.
Heckman, J./ Stixrud, J./ Urzua, S. (2006): The Effect of Cognitive and Non-cognitive Abilities in Labour Market Outcomes and Social Behaviour. NBER Working Paper 12006.
Hildyard, K./ Wolfe, D. (2002): Child neglect: developmental issues and outcomes. Child Abuse and Neglect, 26.
HM Government (2006): The UK Government’s Approach to Public Service Reform, <http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/strategy/work_areas/public_service_reform/index. asp>.
HM Treasury (2004): Choice for parents, the best start for children: a ten year strategy for childcare.
HM Treasury (2007): Budget 2007, <http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/3/4/bud07_ completereport_1 757.pdf>.
HMSO (2003): Every Child Matters, HM Government.
Hosking, G./ Walsh, I. (2005): The Wave Report 2005. Violence and What to Do about It. Laing & Buisson (2006): Childcare Database.
Perry, B. (2002): Childhood experience and the expression of genetic potential: what childhood neglect tells us about nature and nurture. Brain and Mind 3: 79–100.
Perry, B. (2002): Childhood experience and the expression of genetic potential: what childhood neglect tells us about nature and nurture. Brain and Mind 3: 79–100.
Sefton, T./ Sutherland, H. (2004): Inequality and poverty under New Labour’ in A more equal society? by Hills, J./ Stewart K. (eds.): The Policy Press London.
Stanley, K./ Bellamy, K./ Cooke, G. (2006): Equal Access? Appropriate and affordable childcare for every child.
Stewart, K. (2005): Towards an equal start? Addressing childhood poverty and deprivation. In Hills, J and Stewart, K. ’A More Equal Society?: new labour, poverty, inequality and exclusion’.
Sylva, K./ Melhuish, E./ Sammons, P./ Siraj-Blatchford, I./ Taggart, B./ Elliot, K. (2003): The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project: Findings from the Pre-School Period.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften | GWV Fachverlage GmbH, Wiesbaden
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Heitmueller, A., Cuthbert, C. (2008). Transforming early years provision in England. In: Rietmann, S., Hensen, G. (eds) Tagesbetreuung im Wandel. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-91202-8_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-91202-8_16
Publisher Name: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften
Print ISBN: 978-3-531-16378-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-531-91202-8
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Science (German Language)