Editor's View - The not-so United Kingdom

It was really interesting to read 'Building a Brighter Future', the Welsh Assembly's first early years and childcare plan, setting out how it will support families and young children over the next ten years (see our story online).

The first thing that struck me was the holistic view taken in the plan, with government departments involved including Education and Skills, Communities and Tackling Poverty, Health and Social Services, Housing and Regeneration, and Local Government.

So health is integral to the plan, with the chapter on 'Children's health and well-being' looking at improving maternity services and oral health and providing a 'healthy environment', with measures on making it illegal to smoke in cars, for example.

It is really refreshing to see this recognition that all aspects of a young child's life are connected and must be considered together in order to reduce poverty and improve lives - and to find childcare and early education measures set within this context.

Early years is defined as pregnancy to seven too, which feels helpful.

In Scotland, the Early Years Taskforce brings together leaders from a wide range of fields, including Detective Chief Supt John Carnochan, Head of Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, a prominent advocate of early intervention.

To be fair, England's 'More Affordable Childcare' et al are intended to have a tighter focus, but the lists of restrictions on local authorities, testing and assessment regimes and calls for 'school readiness' appear limited in scope and ambition in comparison.