Early Years Service

The role of the early years service is to:

• Ensure sufficient affordable, accessible, quality childcare, childminding and early years places in the borough.
• Recruit childminders to become members of Hammersmith & Fulham childminding network
• Provide free early years education places for all eligible three and four-year-olds
• Give advice and support to existing providers including guidance on policy and meeting Ofsted care standards
• Provide ongoing professional development for all childcare practitioners and enable new and existing practitioners to acquire vocational training
• Ensure that all early years and childcare providers have a person with particular responsibility for children with special needs and one with responsibility for equal opportunities policies
• Participate in the national recruitment strategy for childcare workers
• Work with employers in the borough to raise their awareness of family friendly policies and ways of working flexibly
• To assist private and voluntary sector providers to develop business plans and fundraising strategies    

The Children's Information Service can give helpful advice on the range of services on offer to parents, children and those interested in training and working in the childcare field.  

Links to Early Years information:

» Birth to Three Matters and foundation stage curriculum  
» Business Support 
» Childcare training and job vacancies 
» Children's Centre Family Support Team 
» Children's centres 
» Children's Information Service 
» Developing a childcare business 
» Early Years inclusion 
» Early Years Foundation Stage Letter to settings May 2007 (pdf) 
» Help with childcare costs 
» Outreach programme 
» Registering as a childminder 
» Request further information from the Children's Information Service (online form) 
» Quality Assurance 
» Student mentoring 
» The early years foundation stage for practitioners (pdf)   
» Training for local practitioners