C4EO - for the sector from the sector
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Introduction
Welcome to C4EO's e-learning resource on the Early Years – part of our remit to gather and share local, regional and national evidence of what works to improve outcomes in services, especially for the most vulnerable children, young people and families.
The main messages from the research will not surprise you, since they link to the strands of policy and practice that are already embedded in many local authorities and partnerships in response to the 2007 Children's Plan. In particular, they reinforce an ecological perspective where services are targeted to the child within the family.
However, the weight of evidence about the effects of poverty on children's outcomes underlines the need to develop strategies that engage and involve early years services. In the light of the research evidence, it is even more important to ensure that the links between child and family poverty, early health problems, ethnicity and the Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes for young children are understood by everyone in your partnership.
You can find out more about the support available through the 'How we can help' section at the top of this page. You may also find the sections on Outcomes Based Accountability (OBA) helpful if you have not already adopted an OBA approach.
About C4EO
C4EO's unique remit is to 'gather and share' evidence of what works. We therefore hope that you will continue to support us through engaging in regional events, giving us feedback about our data and sharing your local examples of effective practice, to help us to continue to build the evidence base for early years work in the future.
– The authors
You can use the main navigation above to start working your way through this resource.
Early Years is the first of seven themes explored in this series of e-learning resources 
and addresses the following priority areas:
C4EO is building knowledge from a number of sources about how to improve outcomes for children.
The first stage – the Early Years Research reviews – assessed research evidence and national data on: the impact of disadvantage on outcomes for children;
the potential and practical possibilities for improving children’s learning outcomes through family-based support; the impact of integrated working on children’s development outcomes. This resource reflects data from the Research reviews but will shortly be updated to reflect the latest publications in this area, the Early Years Knowledge Reviews.
The C4EO e-learning themes: Early Years; Disability; Vulnerable Children (particularly children in care); Child Poverty; Safeguarding; Families, Parents and Carers; Schools and Communities.
- Narrowing the gap in outcomes for young children through effective practices in the early years.
- Improving children's attainment through a better quality of family-based support for early learning.
- Improving development outcomes for children through effective practice in integrating early years services.