Parental Barriers to Early Years Services - Case Study Example

Parental Barriers to Early Years Services Parental Barriers to Early Years Services Introduction While each of the four nations of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – has its system of child protection, the systems are all similar in principle (Association of Directors of Childrens Services (ADCS), 2014). All the four systems have children’s services as an integral part. These services include early years, youth, education, health, and social services among others. The effective delivery of these services depends on how well all the stakeholders work together to deliver them – parents, practitioners, Government and the children themselves. Over the years, several studies have been conducted to investigate barriers to the effective engagement of parents in children’s services. This paper focuses on one of the children services: early years. Besides discussing barriers to effective parental involvement in the early years of their children, the paper also proposes what practitioners can do to help parents overcome these barriers. The failure of parents to engage their children, changing and demanding lifestyles, inexperience, ignorance, and the challenges of children with special needs are some of the main barriers. Discussion The Non-involvement of Children In a highly democratic society that values citizen participation, such as the United Kingdom, it is paramount that the views of all stakeholders in a given matter, including children (Foley Pam & Rixon, 2008), be taken into account. Unfortunately, this has not been the case for children’s services in the UK. This point was illustrated adequately in a 2006 study in which the research sought to understand the experiences of reception year children with two policies formulated by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority: Early Learning Goals of 1999 and Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage of 2000(Linklater, 2006). The researcher concluded that the children valued the notion of community. By contrast, in their policies, the educationists placed much emphasis on the concepts of the individual, individualised learning and normalisation(Department of Education, 2014). What is more, an examination of the various policies pursued over the years reveals inconsistencies (Cottle & Alexander, 2014). The study also concluded that the parental attitude of the adult-in-charge also inhibits the interplay between work and play, both of which are critical to the development of the child. There are a number of ways in which policy makers, as practitioners, can help correct this mismatch between their goals and the interests of children. The first thing they should do is to review the two cited policies and other early education policies. In so doing, they must involve the children to establish their values then incorporate them into the policies. To many policy makers this suggestion may be readily laughable. Such policy makers may also question the ability of a three to five-year-old to contribute towards policy formulation. Thus, the temptation to assume that they know what is best for the child is high. However, as demonstrated by the study, the children are quite clear on what is best for them. Besides involving the children, policy makers shoulder ensure the active participation, not mere consultation, of parents and other early child practitioners with the view to gaining a better understanding of children’s needs (Association of Directors of Childrens Services (ADCS), 2014). Changing lifestyles A 2012-13 survey of parents with children aged between zero and five years concluded, not surprisingly, that working mothers spend much less time with their children compared to mothers who are housewives (Department of Education, 2014). This is especially so for mothers who are employed on a full-time basis. Also, single mothers who must meet all the expenses of child-bearing among other expenses spent significantly less time with their children relative to their working but partnered counterparts. More often than not, single mothers are forced to shuttle between multiple jobs in an effort to make ends meet. The solution for such mothers is to entrust the care of their children to registered child-minders, although their knowledge of such service providers is limited (Department of Education, 2014). The directors of children’s services throughout the UK can help such busy parents by providing them with up-to-date registers of approved child-minders(Department of Education, 2014). Unfortunately, the child-minders are guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework developed by the government. The framework is guided by for principles: the uniqueness of the child, positive relationship with parents, an enabling environment and the recognition of the fact that different children learn and develop at different rates(Department of Education, 2007). Good as they are, these principles are individualistic and do not take into account the role of community – the interaction between the child and other children – in the development process. Thus, the parent who wants their child to be nurtured in a community context will be forced to look harder to a suitable care provider. Children with Special Education Needs Children with special needs come with a unique set of challenges especially during their early years. These include children with low cognitive attainment by the time they enter pre-school (Sammons, et al., 2003). The response of a number of parents has been to combine both special and mainstream services for their children special education needs (Flewitt & Nind, 2007). In fact, a 2007 survey revealed that the practice is widespread. The main reasons for the combined placements are the relative shortage of special needs early childhood providers and the acute shortage of well-trained and qualified special needs professionals in the mainstream facilities. The one way in which early years professionals can help parents overcome the challenge of handling children with special educational needs is by equipping themselves with the skills needed to take care of such children (Tickell, 2011). Admittedly, progress has been made; today, there are more professional working with young children who hold either level 3 or graduate credentials. However, much more needs to be done in the areas of training, support and networking with other practitioners who work with young children. The government has roles to play in all these areas. Inexperience and Ignorance Many first time parents lack the necessary experience in caring for their children(Department of Education, 2014). In addition, many parents, young and experienced alike, are ignorant of their legal obligations to their children. They are also unaware of the various government services, both central and local, available at their disposal in the care of their children during their early years. It was for these reasons the government, in collaboration with parents and early years experts, developed the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFSF). The Early Years Foundation Stage is the time between childbirth and the age of five. The EYFSF exists to support all EYFS practitioners in a manner that promotes the best interests of the child. Early years practitioners can help create awareness among parents by sharing with them the provisions of the EYFSF(Department of Education, 2014). This way, both the parent and the carer can work from the same point of understanding to promote the childs interests. The work of the early years practitioner in this respect has been made easier by subsequent revisions to the initial EYFSF first in 2012 then again in 2014. The aim of the revisions was to render the framework clearer and easier to use. The revised edition also lays greater emphasis on the role of the parent in the development of their child. To the informed parent, the framework becomes a yardstick against which they measure the performance of the early year professional concerning the development of the child. Conclusion Following from the above discussion, these are the key points for early years practitioners: (1) parents needs to helped to appreciate the role of the child in their development – the parent does not know it all, (2) practitioners need to equip themselves with skills to handle children whose parents are too busy to interact with them meaningfully, (3) practitioners must acquire the necessary skills to handle children with special educational needs and (4) practitioners must go out of their way to help parents understand their statutory obligations in the development of their children. Annotated Bibliography Association of Directors of Childrens Services (ADCS), 2014. Annual Report 2013-14, Manchester: Association of Directors of Childrens Services (ADCS) This annual report the Association of Directors of Childrens Services (ADCS) sets the stage for the paper by outlining the various childrens services in the UK out of which one – early years – was picked. The report also helpfully points out that whereas each nation of the United Kingdom has its system of child protection, the system are essentially the same in principle. This point creates a level playground to discuss the issues articulated in the paper broadly without getting bogged down by the fine details of each nation. The report also emphasises the need for working together to further the interests of the British child. Cottle, M. & Alexander, E., 2014. Parent partnership and ‘quality early years services: practitioners perspectives. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 22(5), pp. 637-659. This article reports the findings of an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded survey involving 165 early year practitioners spread across eighteen settings. The survey sought to understand the perceptions of the practitioners on the role parents in the development of children during the early years. The majority of the practitioners agreed that parents have an important role to play, but expressed concern about the lack of a standardised platform for their engagement with the practitioners. Department of Education, 2007. Local Authority Briefing Pack for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: Department of Education This brief pack simplifies the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFSF) for parents and cares to render more readily understandable and applicable. It outlines what parents and carers can do to help their children lean and develop. The pack advises that, among other things, parents and carers can be generous wth praises, read materials together, sing together and talk about what the children see in the park or the streets. The relevance of this source to the paper is that it emphasizes the role of the parent in the development of their child, even though that role is hampered by the barriers discussed in the paper. Department of Education, 2014. Childcare and early years survey of parents 2012-2013, London: Department of Education This survey entailed 6,393 English parents with children aged under 15. The parents were picked using Child Benefits records that, by virtue of their near-universal uptake, provides a comprehensive sampling framework for families with children in need of social care. The fact that parents with children aged up to 15 – clearly out of the early years range – is made up for by the fact that priority was given to parents with children aged between 2 and 4. The survey reports that one of the major hindrances to meaningful parental involvement in the early years, especially for working single mothers, is a demanding lifestyle. Department of Education, 2014. Parents’ Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, London: Department of Education This is another parental guide to the EYFSF. The guide rightly emphasizes the role of the parent in learning during the early years. However, the guide takes an individualistic approach to learning in line with the thinking of the framers of the EYFSF. As demonstrated in one of the sources cited in this paper, children learn best when they are in the company of their peers, not just their parents and siblings. Therefore, this source underscores the failure of parents (and policy makers) to take into account the needs of the child. Flewitt, R. & Nind, M., 2007. Parents choosing to combine special and inclusive early years settings: the best of both worlds?. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 22(4), pp. 425-441 This article is based on an empirical study in southern England that involved parents, voluntary groups and early years providers in three local education authorities (LEAs). The study revealed that the practice of early years parents to enroll their children with special education needs to both special and mainstream facilities was widespread. On the surface, it would appear that such parents simply want to take advantage of the best of both worlds. A closer reading reveals otherwise. First, these parents are grappling with the challenge of how best to care for their special needs children in an environment where special facilities are limited and the mainstream facilities are inadequately staffed with suitably qualified staff to handle such children. Foley Pam & Rixon, A., 2008. Changing Childrens Services: Working and Learning Together. 1st ed. Bristol: Policy Press This is one of the primary materials used in the course. For the purpose of this paper, the authors of the book make the point that the nature of children’s services is fast changing. The new order demand teamwork among the various players, including the children themselves: it is no longer the time for one-man-shows as far as children’s services are concerned. The book is near-revolutionary in demanding that parents and practitioners start listening to children. Linklater, H., 2006. Listening to learn: children playing and talking about the reception year of early years education in the UK. Early Years: An International Research Journal, 26(1), pp. 63-78 This article is based an empirical study that involved reception year children. The researcher sought to understand the children’s perception on two policies that affected them: Early Learning Goals and Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. In a rather creative strategy, the researcher collected their data from the children while they played. The researcher concluded that there was a mismatch between the goals propagated by the policies and the children’s values: the policy makers emphasized individualised learning while the children valued community. Herein is a lesson for parents: they must learn to listen to their children. Sammons, P. et al., 2003. The Early Years Transition & Special Educational Needs (EYTSEN) Project, London: University of London This report is based on a study that involved 2800 children in 141 pre-school centres spread across England. The centres included local authority-run day nurseries, integrated centres (those fully combining education and care), playgroups, privately owned day nurseries and nursery schools and classes. The study sought to examine the impact of the various types of centres on children. Alongside other findings, the study concluded that the majority of the centres were ill-staffed to handle children with special learning needs. Tickell, D. C., 2011. The Early Years: Foundations for life, health and learning: An Independent Report on the Early Years Foundation Stage to Her Majesty’s Government, s.l.: The Crown. This is an independent report that reviews the EYFSF. The report recommends several changes to the framework make it responsive to needs of children. However, for the purpose of this paper, the report recommends the need to improve the training or early years professionals to equip them with the skills to handle children with special education needs. The report also stresses the need for the professionals to network with other professionals to ensure better childrens services. References Association of Directors of Childrens Services (ADCS), 2014. Annual Report 2013-14, Manchester: Association of Directors of Childrens Services (ADCS). Cottle, M. & Alexander, E., 2014. Parent partnership and ‘quality early years services: practitioners perspectives. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 22(5), pp. 637-659. Department of Education, 2007. Local Authority Briefing Pack for the Early Years Foundation Stage. London: Department of Education. Department of Education, 2014. Childcare and early years survey of parents 2012-2013, London: Department of Education. Department of Education, 2014. Parents’ Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, London: Department of Education. Flewitt, R. & Nind , M., 2007. Parents choosing to combine special and inclusive early years settings: the best of both worlds?. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 22(4), pp. 425-441. Foley Pam & Rixon, A., 2008. Changing Childrens Services: Working and Learning Together. 1st ed. Bristol: Policy Press. Linklater, H., 2006. Listening to learn: children playing and talking about the reception year of early years education in the UK. Early Years: An International Research Journal, 26(1), pp. 63-78. Sammons, P. et al., 2003. The Early Years Transition & Special Educational Needs (EYTSEN) Project, London: University of London. Tickell, D. C., 2011. The Early Years: Foundations for life, health and learning: An Independent Report on the Early Years Foundation Stage to Her Majesty’s Government, s.l.: The Crown. Read More