Our goal is for the early years sector to provide the foundations for children to have happy, healthy and successful lives, and to enable parents to work. The sector has some challenges in common with our other sectors but it faces a different local and systemic context. We are interested in evidence that will help us enable a healthy and sustainable early years market which maximises the valuable outcomes of the sector.
If you would like to discuss previous, ongoing or potential research into any of the areas in this document, please contact research.engagement@education.gov.uk.
In recent years, parents and parenting have featured prominently in policy discourse in the UK and elsewhere. The increasingly prevalent view that social and educational policy must pay specific attention to the role and...
Funded by: AHRC
Lead research organisation: University College London
Partially relevant as it discusses changing discourses of the parent-child relationship but does not provide direct solutions to improve parental access and engagement with family services.
National and local organisations produce a wealth of valuable data, which can be used to understand how we can reduce the number of children at risk of poor social, health and educational outcomes. However, at present, t...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: Swansea University
Partially relevant as it focuses on establishing a community catalyst for child-focused researchers and analysts, which indirectly relates to improving parental access and engagement with family services.
Families benefit from childcare. The availability of affordable childcare is a major influence on women's ability to take up paid work. According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, 'Helping families to combine ...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University College London
Fully relevant as it specifically addresses the provision and use of preschool childcare in Britain, which directly relates to improving parental access to family services.