4Children and NCB chosen to deliver strategic support

The national charities, which have come together to form The Children’s Partnership, will work with a consortium of organisations including Barnardos, the Family and Childcare Trust, National Council for Voluntary Organisations and NSPCC.

Over the next two years, the partnership will provide policy and delivery advice to the Government and support the sector to develop new and sustainable approaches, focusing on two priority areas – early years and childcare and adoption and care.

4Children will lead on early years and childcare and build on its work over the past two years as strategic lead for early years voluntary organisations.

Sue Robb, head of early years at 4Children (pictured) told Nursery World that the organisation will continue to run and expand upon its Learn, Explore Debates, free seminars that act as a ‘one stop shop’ opportunity to find out about the ongoing integration with health. The first round of the debates will take place next month.

The charity will also be updating its Foundation Years website to include more resources, in particular on health and interactive features.

Ms Robb said, ‘Through The Children’s Partnership we will continue to give advice and support, whilst ensuring the early years sector has a voice and is represented.

‘The partnership will also look at safeguarding, families and youth, which are linked to the policy areas, but not policy areas in their own right. Links to safeguarding materials will be available on the Foundation Years website.’

The work on adoption and care will be led by the National Children’s Bureau. Its key objectives will include speeding up adoption, narrowing attainment and health gaps, improving foster care, placement stability and the experience of care leavers.

Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, said, ‘The next two years will be hugely important with both real challenges but also real opportunities.  We know from our previous experience as strategic partners just how important it is that the voluntary sector is able to play a full and active role in delivering better outcomes for children and their families.  This is an exciting partnership which brings real expertise and commitment to the table and I am confident that by working together we can help achieve real change.’

Dr Hilary Emery, chief executive of the National Children’s Bureau, said, ‘This partnership will be the voice for the voluntary sector, ensuring that Government policy is informed by the expertise of those working directly with children, young people and their families, those who know from first-hand experience what works and what doesn’t.
 
‘Times are challenging for the sector, but they are especially hard for the many families that access voluntary sector services.’

This month, 4Children was also awarded a share of the Department for Education’s Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) grant programme. The family charity is using the funding to pilot ‘community childcare hubs’ and support children’s centres.