Written Statement: Publication of A Quality Framework for Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care in Wales and supporting materials

We are today publishing a suite of documents to support our vision of high-quality Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care (ECPLC) in Wales. Previously known as Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC).

Child development is at the heart of our early childhood play, learning and care policies and provision.

The Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care Quality Framework for Wales draws together the requirements for delivering the kind and standard of provision we want in Wales.  

The Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care: Reflective Practice Toolkit  has been developed to support individuals and teams to reflect on the quality of their provision.

The Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care: Developmental Pathways 0-3  focuses on what is important for children’s development and how we can best support very young children to grow and develop.

All of these align with the National Minimum Standards for Regulated Childcare in Wales and the Curriculum for Wales.

Each of these documents should be used alongside each other to help practitioners plan meaningful experiences which are responsive to babies and very young children’s developing needs and interests. The suite of support materials should ensure practitioners offer well-evidenced, well-informed, and successful approaches to early childhood play, learning and care and help them actively reflect on and continuously improve practice to better help all babies and young children to grow and develop.

We want to thank all those involved in the production of these documents, which have been produced by practitioners for practitioners.

These documents will remain in draft for the next year as we engage with the widest possible range of practitioners. We intend to publish final versions in June 2024.