A report, The Learning We Live By, published by Capacity, says that such training is necessary to improve partnership with parents and to encourage more community ownership of children's centres and schools.
Capacity's director Margaret Lochrie, a former head of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said that the proposed occupational standards for the reformed children's workforce were 'silent about poverty'.
She said, 'In the same way that those working in schools, nurseries and other services have access to equal opportunites training, training on the impact of poverty would be appropriate.'
She added, 'On a practical level, an understanding of this issue would avoid all kinds of misunderstandings - for example, that parents with no credit on their phone are unlikely to return calls, or how children's experiences are affected by poverty and exclusion.'
Early years consultant Gill Haynes and former NCMAchief executive, who contributed to the report, called for an enhanced role for children's centres in delivering economic wellbeing, by expanding the core offer to include more training for parents.
She said, 'Children's centres have a huge potential for skills training, providing they are welcoming environments and adults do not feel as if learning opportunities are being imposed. Courses should be responsive to local needs.'
Ms Lochrie said that adult education should be part of the universal offer for all children's centres. 'A lot of adult education funding is focused on 14- to 19- year-olds. But just as working parents get tax benefits for childcare, there should be entitlements to support parents to train for and get back to work.'
To order the report send a cheque for 6.25 to Capacity, 131 Teddington High Street, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 8HH or see www.capacityltd.org.uk.