Month: March 2023

How are you helping to tackle child poverty in London?

The lack of affordable childcare and inequality in educational opportunities for the early years is a major cause of poverty. Our project ‘Grow Your Own’ is sharing the history of how people created childcare and early years education and campaigned for improvements in London from the 1960s till the present day. We hope that learning more about how childcare was created in the past could help people change the childcare system we have today for the better, and therefore help to tackle child poverty.

Tell us something you are excited about?

We are excited that we can offer 10 free places on a podcast training course running from April 20^th for six weeks. People taking part will get expert training in writing, recording, researching and editing a podcast episode, with all expenses covered including childcare. If you are affected by the lack of affordable childcare or trying to change childcare for the better, and have a connection to east London, please apply to join the course!

Share with our members something positive about your organisation’s achievement or service?

We’ve only just begun, but we have found a lot of people already with really interesting stories to share from decades of work making childcare better. We are starting to plan a program of events where we’ll share some of that experience and learning.

What can other network members learn from you or find out more about through you?

About the history of childcare, including how parents set up their own community run nurseries in the 1970s when they couldn’t find any childcare, how they campaigned to get their local councils to fund them, and how their work setting up community nurseries directly influenced the Sure Start Children’s Centres that were set up in the late 1990s. We want to get the most useful information to you to help you achieve your goals today.

What would most help you achieve your goals?

Reaching lots of people – so please help spread the word!

Why did you join 4in10? What do you enjoy about being part of the 4in10 network?

To connect with other groups who are interested in childcare and child poverty. So far its been really useful, thank you!