Government early years policy undermines child wellbeing, experts warn

In a letter to the three main political party leaders, 11 experts, including Melian Mansfield, chair of the Early Childhood Forum and Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, call for a more inclusive and child-focused approach to the early years.

They have hit out at what they describe as the Department for Education’s “consistent disregard of expert opinion” when developing policies, citing the government’s recent confirmation that it will not implement recommendations put forward by Professor Cathy Nutbrown in her June 2012 review of early education as a prime example.

The experts, co-ordinated by the Save Childhood Movement, also said they will encourage parents, practitioners and carers to consider each political party’s early years pledges when voting in the 2015 election in a bid to ensure young children’s wellbeing is at the heart of future policy.