NCB Now: Italian town is early years example

Young Children in Charge: A Small Italian Community with Big Ideas for Children, part of the Building Better Childhoods: International Perspectives series, is based on a study of San Miniato in northern Italy, where early years services are showing the fruits of 25 years of local authority commitment and financial investment.

San Miniato invests two of its 18m euro budget in services for children under three. The remainder is covered by funding from regional and national government and parental contributions. The central concept guiding all service development in San Miniato is that the child is competent, curious and able to absorb new skills and relate to peers and adults confidently. Educators therefore trust children to be in charge of their own learning and, as a result, their focus is on creating opportunities to learn, rather than guiding children towards pre-set outcomes by following some form of curriculum.