Parents call for more Early Years Professionals
Parents are calling for high level skills to support their child's wellbeing and development in early years settings, a new survey has found.
The findings show that seven out of 10 parents (69 per cent) would prefer their child to attend child care that has an Early Years Professional (EYP), according to CWDC.
Parents have an appetite for greater skills in the sector, with over a third (39 per cent) saying that they will expect the person leading the development of their child to hold Early Years Professional Status (EYPS). The Status recognises graduate practitioners with the skills to lead high quality practice, and equips them to offer greater care, development and play opportunities for children.
The survey by CWDC suggests that nine out of ten parents support the Government's aim to have an Early Years Professional in every setting by 2015.
The findings also show that parents will not shy away from what they want in an early years setting. In fact, one in two parents across the UK has moved their child out of a nursery at some stage. While motivations vary from pragmatic reasons such as an inconvenient location or as a result of having moved away, parents also admit to having changed child care provider if they thought their son or daughter was not getting the right development opportunities or if they felt the staff were not qualified enough.
Thom Crabbe, National Development Manager for Early Years at CWDC, said:
"The growing number of Early Years Professionals is good news for Early Years services. As this figure grows, so too will parents' awareness and expectations looking to an Early Years Professional who can play a key role in leading their child's development at this vital stage.
There are currently more than 1,700 Early Years Professionals across the country - a good step towards the Government's aim of having an Early Years Professional in every early years setting by 2015, a target that's welcomed by parents."
To find out more about becoming an Early Years Professional, log on to www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/futures or call 0800 996 600.