The ELPP project, funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (October 2006 to March 2008), was designed to support parents of very young children to help them get involved in their children’s early learning. The project – which was carried out by the Voluntary and Community Sector - had a particular focus on parents of children identified as being at risk from learning delay, and drew on research from The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) project (and the subsequent EPEE 3-11 project) which found that:

The quality of the learning environment of the home (where parents are actively engaged in activities with their children) promoted intellectual and social development in all children. Although parents’ social class and levels of education were related to child outcomes the quality of the home learning environment was more important. What parents do is more important than who they are.

In addition to delivering a range of demonstration projects, the ELPP was also designed to provide opportunities for early years practitioners so that they could develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in supporting parents in their role as their child’s first educator. This ‘workforce development’ strand involved a consortium of organisations led by the National Children’s Bureau and Parenting UK, which delivered significant training programmes to practitioners all over England, and developed new accreditation and progression routes for learners, including linking the PEAL programme to the new City & Guilds qualifications (3598) Work with Parents. View the Map of these learning programmes, which includes information about accreditation and contact details.

Gill Haynes 16 May 2008