As early years practitioners, we have seen an incredible rise in both the provision of places for very young children and an amazing increase in the level of qualifications of all staff and the ongoing development of the workforce over the duration of the last Government's tenure. This is a great deal to celebrate. But is it all about to come crashing down, because the powers that be in Whitehall have no concept of children and their very diverse and real needs? It is not simply a matter of changing nappies, feeding and watering the children or keeping them safe. We need to ensure that 'every child matters', that getting to young children early enough is desperately important if we are to make an impact upon their lives. This is the only way they will gain the skills and abilities to enable them to move through school confidently, and become active and engaged adults who can make a difference to the 'Big Society'.
Here at LEYF, we have been considering the impact of 'Big Society' on our settings and how we can best meet the challenging times ahead.
Then of course it dawned on us - we are the 'Big Society'! With a growing network of 20 community children's centre and workplace nurseries, we represent the best of that idea. We support parents, we support families and at the centre of it all, we support the children who attend. We offer exciting opportunities to children and through that we encourage and develop their sense of awe and wonder for the world. Without this, the danger is that children become disengaged, parents fail to cope and society splinters.
Nursery as a hub for families remains as vital today as it did ten years ago when the idea of neighbourhood nurseries was created. It is as vital as it was 50 years ago when Nye Bevan introduced the welfare state to ensure all families had an equal right to good health. It is as vital as it was more than 100 years ago when Margaret Horn, one of our founding members, began mothercraft classes for families in Westminster.