The project
This is an initiative coordinated by the King Baudouin Foundation (Belgium) and promoted by the Compagnia di San Paolo in collaboration with the Bernard Van Leer Foundation (Netherlands), the Kalouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Portugal), the Lego Foundation (Denmark), the Jacobs Foundation (Switzerland), the Universal Education Foundation (Netherlands), the Foundation for Child Development (USA), Atlantic Philanthropies (USA) and the California Community Foundation (USA) –
It concerns the creation of a transatlantic forum made up of researchers, practitioners and policymakers from Europe and North America on the issue of policies on the development of early childhood (0-6 years) care and education; the early years are particularly relevant to the development of children’s cognitive, emotional, linguistic and social skills, with general determinative influences on the educational and professional careers of individuals and their physical and mental health.
This investment in early childhood, with particular attention to children from families most at risk of social exclusion (migrant families or families in vulnerable conditions), represents significant long-term returns in terms of improved access to education, increased economic and work potential, and a greater sense of social and parental responsibility.
The aim is to exchange newest research results, strategies, policies, innovations and best practices and create the opportunity to scale-up existing knowledge and evidence-based research. The Forum will bring together high-level policymakers and decision-makers with a view to making early childhood education and care for children from migrant and low-income families a priority on the political agenda in Europe and beyond.
The forum will explore the following themes (click on the title to access the related documents) :
1. Quality Early Childhood Services for All: Addressing Disparities in Access for Children from Migrant and Low-Income Families (January 21-23,2013 - Ghent, Belgium)
Evaluate access to and affordability of quality services, including the barriers faced by children across policy and practice levels, and how they are being addressed.
2. Workforce Preparation and Curriculum Innovations (Spring 2013- USA)
Propose improved workforce-preparation systems by better understanding changes in instructional practice, teacher preparation and curricula that have been successful in engaging children from migrant and low-income families.
3. Child Care and Parent Engagement (Winter 2013-2014 - Lisbon, Portugal)
Explore what systems, standards and regulations have been successful in ensuring access to quality child care and examine how to engage migrant and low-income parents to become their children’s “first teachers” and life-long advocates for their children’s education.
4. Multilingualism and Multiple Identities/Belongings (Spring 2014- The Netherlands)
Identify the advantages and disadvantages of current models of education (e.g. bilingual education and second language immersion) in multilingual settings, taking into consideration culture, identity and integration.
5. Role of National Governments, Policy Levers, Effective Decentralization (Fall 2014 - USA)
Examine the role that national governments can play in leveraging national goal-setting and regulation to implement early childhood policies that promote equality as well as investing in meaningful evaluations.
6. Integrated Systems and Closing of TFIEY: Priorities for the Next Decade (Spring 2015 - EU)
Identify effective strategies that ensure the needs of children from migrant and low-income backgrounds are being met, particularly as a number of nations move toward integrating their early care and education systems into a streamlined network of services under the umbrella of a lead government ministry or agency.
Additional information :
1.Background
2.Work method
3.Partners
4.Advisory Board
For more information click here>>
Documents
Transatlantic Forum on Inclusive Early Years (Leaflet) (pdf, 610 KB)
Related events
- First meeting of the Transatlantic Forum on Inclusive Early Years: Quality Early ChildhoodServices for All
Watch this video to see the results of the first Transatlantic Forum on Inclusive Early Years (held in January 2013 in Ghent), supported by the Bernard van Leer Foundation. The next Forum will be held in New York City, from July 10th – 12th, 2013.3