Support launched to help parents make the first five years count
Support and advice for parents of children under five will be the focus of a new campaign launched by early education and care charity National Day Nurseries Association.
With government support on childcare for children under three expanding in England, Scotland and Wales, NDNA has launched its parent campaign video. As part of the charity’s First Five Years Count campaign there is also a range of free resources and guides for families.
Working in partnership with Media Trust and Mercers Company as trustee of the Charity of Sir Richard Whittington, NDNA produced the video which shows Evie’s nursery journey. It shows how a child’s family and early years setting, working together, put her at the heart of everything they do, giving her the best possible chance to thrive in life.
Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of NDNA, said: “The first teachers a child will have in their life are their parents. It’s such a special and important bond to be celebrated and supported. At the same time, early education and care settings can be pivotal in laying the strong foundations for learning.
“Evidence shows that high-quality early education and care can have a huge impact on children’s life chances. Our first five years count campaign is all about getting it right in those crucial early years.
“The scenes in the video will be familiar to parents up and down the country as they drop-off their children. Evie’s story shows how children can learn and grow in confidence at an early years setting but also how that is carried on at home. We know that nurseries can become part of a family’s vital support networks, working together to support their children to thrive and develop in their crucial first years.
“There are many emotions parents can feel when their children start nursery, and NDNA’s free resources are there to provide peace of mind, clear guidance and next steps for every part of their journey in early years and onto school.”
The parent resources include information on choosing a nursery, home learning, weaning and toilet training as well as getting ready for the transition into school.
The First Five Years Count campaign launched in 2022 and highlights how valuable the early years sector is to families, employers and the economy but most importantly, the future of children from birth to five.
It also aims to increase parental understanding of the learning and development that takes place in children’s early years, highlighting the professionalism and value added by the early years workforce.
The parent page for First Five Years Count is here.
Find out more about our First Five Years Count campaign.
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