Early Childhood Services in England: Policy, Research and Practice

Abstract

The years since the adoption of the UNCRC and the passing of the 1989 Children Act in England¹ have seen an increasing focus on the rights and well-being of children. In more recent years this has led to an expansion in services for young children. Early childhood remains high on the pol- icy agenda, as governments of all political persuasions pay lip service to the importance of the earliest years of life. A range of research has fed into legis- lation and curriculum frameworks, and the centrality of children’s active participation in decisions that affect their lives continues to inform best practice. But more recently this has also been a time of growing inequali- ties, of changing political priorities and of considerable reduction in public spending. Opportunities have been missed to create a more coherent strategy for young children and their families, and many of the more positive devel- opments of the past decades are at risk. This chapter considers what has been achieved over this period and the challenges that are faced in sustaining and building on these achievements.