special focus, devoted to one aspect of early years care and education
that we explore in depth.
This time, we concentrate on children from birth to three, with a wealth of news, comment and advice on best practice from leading experts in the sector.
For obvious reasons, the attention of policymakers and practitioners has been fixed on two-year-olds specifically in light of the Government programme for the 40 per cent most deprived, and on three and four-year-olds anew following the general election and the promised doubling of funded hours to 30. In policy terms, there is certainly a gap for parents of under-twos needing help to afford childcare.
And the broader practice picture for birth to threes, particularly for the very youngest, seems to have been rather blurred.
It is possible that the introduction of the prime and specific areas to the Early Years Foundation Stage has only served to confuse many of those working with babies and toddlers, as Nancy Stewart argues in her piece on this page.
Three years after the Baby Room Project run by Kathy Goouch and Sacha Powell, which I was delighted to be part of, much still needs to be done to provide training, status and support to those in the vital job of caring for babies.
This issue of Nursery World explores the challenges, finds some nurseries working in innovative ways, and asks Dr Julian Grenier to explain what is fundamental to this age group. Then, we take each Area of Learning and offer expert advice on experiences and resources, together building a complete picture of the joy of best practice with birth to threes.