Early Years News Roundup | 27 March 2025

Spotlight 🌟

Councils to Receive Over £500m to Restore Family Services

The government has announced over £500 million in funding to restore family and parenting support services across all English councils in 2025/26 — double the previous year's allocation. The funding aims to prevent vulnerable children from falling through the cracks by enabling earlier intervention and better access to support.

Key reforms include introducing a single ‘front door’ for family services in each local area, making it easier for families to access help for issues like mental health, disabilities, and substance misuse. Thousands of family help leads will be matched with families to coordinate resources and reduce the need to repeat their story to multiple teams.

The reforms are part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which also introduces a unique child identifier and requires councils to have multi-agency safeguarding teams. Minister for Children and Families, Janet Daby, highlighted the importance of rebuilding support systems to give children the best start in life.

MPs to evaluate impact of policies on early childhood development's first 1,000 days.

The Health and Social Care Committee's inquiry into the first 1,000 days of a child's life underscores the critical importance of early childhood development. It examines barriers to high-quality services, aiming to inform policy and funding priorities. This initiative highlights the role of education and community involvement in enhancing developmental outcomes, offering a platform for stakeholders to share insights and experiences, ultimately aiming to improve life chances for children. Through this inquiry, educators, policymakers, and caregivers are invited to inspire positive change and implement research-backed practices in early childhood education.

Childbase and University to develop toolkit enhancing early childhood education environments.

Childbase Partnership, in collaboration with the University of Northampton, is developing an environmental toolkit aimed at enhancing children's speech and language development in early years settings. Funded by Innovate UK, this initiative merges academic research with practical experience to create a toolkit that will be available across the sector. This project highlights the importance of a robust learning environment and its impact on a child's holistic development, offering educators and policymakers evidence-based tools to support early childhood education effectively.

In Conversation 🗣️

Research & Insights 🔬

Investing in education is vital for transformative societal growth and sustainable prosperity.

A global funding gap of $97 billion annually is hindering educational progress and economic growth in low-income regions. Drawing from successful models in Singapore and Korea, experts highlight the importance of early education, skills alignment with market demands, and development finance as essential pillars for sustainable growth.

This underscores the strategic value of coordinated policy measures and targeted investments in early childhood education. Strengthening early learning infrastructure and adapting curriculums to future workforce needs can drive long-term economic stability and societal advancement.

Childcare costs rise for over-threes, urging more equitable early education funding.

Rising nursery costs in the UK, especially for three and four-year-olds, highlight a crucial gap in equitable early childhood education. Subsidies strive to ease financial burdens but often miss disadvantaged families, underscoring a need for investments that drive transformational change.

Breastfeeding newborns lowers food allergy risks, study finds.

Australian research indicates that feeding newborns infant formula instead of breast milk within the first three days can significantly increase the risk of developing food allergies. This evidence supports the promotion of breastfeeding to ensure optimal cognitive growth and emotional well-being in early child development, bridging academic insights with practical implementation in early years education.

AI-powered jumpsuit enables accurate at-home monitoring of infant motor skills.

The MAIJU jumpsuit, using AI algorithms, assesses infant motor development at home as accurately as experts, addressing the limitations of subjective assessments and clinical observations. This device enables objective, international benchmarks for development, offering early years professionals a robust tool for screening developmental delays, evaluating rehabilitation efficacy, and conducting comprehensive studies on environmental and nutritional impacts.

Global Perspectives 🌎

Abby Binay advocates for robust early childhood education to ensure sustainable societal growth.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay of the Philippines emphasises the significance of strengthening early childhood education in the Philippines, showcasing Makati's grassroots initiatives like Project FEED and Project MILES, which are pivotal in addressing nutrition and math proficiency. These c

ommunity-driven efforts demonstrate how coordinated investments and collaborations between educators and policymakers can form the foundation for long-term societal benefits. By tackling educational gaps early, these programs offer a compelling blueprint for achieving sustainable growth and transformative change, highlighting the profound impact of strategic investment in foundational skills to ensure better educational and employment outcomes.

AIOU's conference explores early childhood care for a brighter future.

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in Pakistan will host the 5th International Conference on Early Childhood Education and Development, focusing on "Nurturing a Bright Beginning for a Better Future." This gathering of experts, policymakers, and stakeholders aims to explore investment strategies and policy developments in early childhood education. By sharing global trends and best practices, the event seeks to inspire actionable improvements in local education systems, ensuring a quality start for children worldwide.