Starting points

The New Year heralds the next phase in bringing the Birth to Three Matters framework to life. The under-threes framework to support children in their earliest years was launched in November 2002 and distributed to all registered childminders, day nurseries and Early Years Development and Childcare partnerships in England. This January and February, training is being rolled out for representatives from EYDCPs. This training will be a pivotal step as those attending are due to cascade the information on to practitioners who directly work with babies and young children.

For those who have been working in the early years sector for some time, the framework is a welcome step forward, bringing recognition and status to working with the very young child. Rosemary Gibbins, early years development officer for Sefton Early Years and Childcare service, is one of those who is pleased to see its arrival. She explains, 'Working with babies and toddlers is a demanding role requiring the skills of perceptiveness and responsiveness. The spotlight is widening now on to the under-threes and this is extremely positive for the early years sector. In Sefton, we have put together a pilot programme to support the introduction of the framework. The development team have been visiting settings and encouraging practitioners to build a portfolio of good practice so that they can evidence their work to parents and OFSTED inspectors.'