Opinion

Opinion: To the point - Evidencing families

I took up the new challenge at FPI because I'm passionate about improving families' lives. My vision for FPI is to promote the well-being of families, which is so intertwined with the well-being of society.

It's an exciting yet challenging time to join such a well-respectedorganisation. The political landscape is likely to change dramaticallyin the next year and the sector will be facing tough financial times.But it is essential that we continue to build on early years initiativesand avoid losing the expertise built up over the past ten years andwhich is starting to make a real difference to families.

We know from Sure Start children's centres the value of earlyintervention in children's lives. Last month, I visited a centre in adeprived part of Birmingham. It was offering childcare and learningthrough play. It was encouraging pregnant women and their partners tovisit a midwife at the centre and then attend drop-ins after theirbaby's birth. A voluntary organisation, Malachi, funded through FPI'sParenting Fund, was counselling parents with problems at home. And otherparents were coming in to study for GCSEs.

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