Nursery World - Analysis: Sign up to campaign for quality in the early years

An appeal for firm commitment and promotion of progress for young children is made by Dwynwen Stepien, director of the Early Childhood Unit at the National Children's Bureau.

This will be an interesting year for everyone working in and using early years services.

By the end of the year we will have the outcome of the General Election, the introduction of the 15-hour flexible entitlement for threeand four-year-olds, and the review of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Together with the delay in the roll-out of the Early Years Single Funding Formula, there is a lot of uncertainty, much to debate and everything to play for.

The profile and importance of early years services have grown enormously over the past 12 years, and it is now widely recognised that good-quality early childhood education and care are beneficial both to children themselves and to society. It is time to take stock of what has been achieved, and to plan for the future.

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