Explain why strategic direction for nation policy

Every Child a Talker (ECaT) is a national strategy designed to improve the skills and expertise of the Early Years workforce in early language, increase practitioners knowledge and understanding of early language development, create enriched language environments within settings and increase the involvement of parents in their children’s learning and help them to develop stronger home-learning environments. Good early language development is a key factor for a child’s future success. ECaT supports early intervention, improves practice and involves parents in the process of creating positive outcomes and life chances for children and young people.

1.4 Explain why strategic direction from national and local policy is required to address factors impacting on outcomes and life chances for children and young people.

Strategic direction from national and local policy is required to ensure every young child gets the early intervention that they need and enable change. 3.8 million children are currently living in poverty in the UK, one area in particular that is affected by this is education. By the time they start school, many poor children are already lagging behind, this can continue throughout their whole education.

The Child Poverty Action Group states:

• children from poorer backgrounds lag at all stages of education
• by the age of three, poorer children are estimated to be, on average, nine months behind children from more wealthy backgrounds
• by the end of primary school, pupils receiving free school meals are estimated to be almost three terms behind their peers
• by 14, this gap grows to over five terms
• by 16, children receiving free school meals achieve 1.7 grades lower at GCSE

The top 20 parliamentary constituencies for child poverty in the UK are:
1. Manchester Central (47% of children in poverty)
2. Belfast West (43%)
3. Glasgow North East (43%)
4. Birmingham, Ladywood (42%)
5. Bethnal Green and Bow (42%)
6. Liverpool, Riverside (42%)
7. Poplar and Lime house (41%)
8. Middlesbrough (40%)
9. Blackley and Broughton (38%)
10. Newcastle upon Tyne Central (38%)
11. Leeds Central (38%)
12. Liverpool, Walton (37%)
13. Glasgow Central (37%)
14. Hackney South and Shoreditch (37%)
15. Manchester, Gorton (37%)
16. Birmingham, Hodge Hill (37%)
17. Islington South and Finsbury (37%)
18. Nottingham North (37%).

Strategic direction is helping to tackle child poverty by providing free school meals, supporting families to get back in to work by helping with child care costs, providing free courses for parents and activities for children and young people. Children’s centres in poorer areas help reach out to vulnerable households, these families can access holistic, integrated services at the centres. Without this children living in poverty will only suffer more, early intervention is available to ensure children and families get any extra support they need and further their development.