|
New website launched for children and families going through the family courts Photographers show respect and celebrate diversity to win top prizes Chancellor recognises Childcare Key Role Opening up knowledge in Social Care Childcare providers across UK to join in National Sure Start Month 2003 London’s children to have their say on city’s future National Autistic Society to host seminar on Autism and sexuality Festival Fever – The Seedling Arts Children’s Festival is Back for 2003 82% of working parents admit to being late to collect children Encourage more men into Childcare New Dads want Lion's share of the care |
|
New website launched for children and families going through the family courts April 2003 - CAFCASS – the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service – has launched a new website designed for children and families involved in the family courts. The user friendly website provides lots of information about what CAFCASS does and what might happen in the family courts. Around 50,000 families each year are caught up in family court cases. The courts ask CAFCASS to help in cases when: parents
are splitting up and cannot agree where their children should live The website
(www.cafcass.gov.uk)
is split into three parts. Children, teenagers and parents can click
on their own section to find out things like: how CAFCASS officers work
with families; what happens when mums and dads can’t agree where
their children should live; and adoption. There are also stories about
other children who have gone through the similar things in the family
courts. The website explains confusing legal terms in a way that is
easy to understand and also provides links to other useful websites. Photographers show respect and celebrate diversity to win top prizes CATEGORIES
INCLUDE UNDER 18 YEARS As part of a programme of activities and events being organised across London in the run up to the anti-racist respect festival at the Dome on Saturday 19 July, the Mayor is inviting photographers of all ages, whether amateur or professional, to come up with images that reflect London's diversity, inspired by the theme, 'respect the diversity of Londoners and their communities'. The competition is being supported by electrical retailer Dixons in association with Fujifilm, who are offering prizes for competition winners, including top of the range Fujifilm digital cameras. The Mayor said: 'This year's respect will encompass many different activities as well as the festival at the Dome, meaning more people can actively get behind the anti-racist message. I am delighted that the support of Dixons and Fujifilm means we are able to run our first respect photographic competition. It does not matter what camera you use, or how often you take pictures. What we are looking for are images that reflect and celebrate London's diversity, and how well the capital's many different communities live side by side and make our city a great, and welcoming, world city.' As well as having the chance to win camera equipment, selected work will be shown in a respect week exhibition at City Hall, in the official festival magazine and on the website. Entries are being accepted now for the following categories: under 18; 18 and over (amateur); 18 and over (professional). Competition forms are available in all Dixons London stores and can be downloaded from www.respectfestival.org.uk. All entries must be received no later than May 30 2003. The competition rules are as follows: RULES OF ENTRY LONDON SHOWS RESPECT – Photography Competition 2003 THEME: Respect the diversity of Londoners and their communities a) Those entering the competition agree to abide by the Rules of Entry. b) Entrants may submit one colour print only of their own work which should be a minimum 5” x 7” up to a maximum 8” x 10” in size. c) All entries should reflect the competition theme and must be received no later than Friday 30 May 2003. Entries should be addressed to the respect Photography Competition, Culture Team, 4th Floor, City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA d) Categories for entry are a) Under 18, b) 18 and over (amateur) c) 18 and over (professional). e) Prints entered should be clearly labelled on the reverse with your name, address and telephone number, the category in which you are entering and a title for the picture. Entrants may submit a covering letter with a brief description of their picture (not more than 100 words), where it was taken and what it depicts. f) All entries will be judged by a panel of judges nominated by the Greater London Authority (GLA). First, Second and Third prizes, plus 2 runner up prizes will be awarded in each category. The judges’ decisions will be final. Winning entrants will be notified by post no later than 18 June 2003. A list of winning entrants will be made available on the respect festival website after this date. g) The GLA will not enter into any communication or correspondence regarding individual entries. h) Prints will not be returned unless a stamped addressed envelope is provided with the entry. Other prints will be kept for 3 months after the closing date and then disposed of. i) The GLA accepts no liability for loss or damage, however caused, to any entries, and no responsibility for incomplete or delayed entries. j) The GLA reserves the right to reproduce, enlarge, publish or exhibit, mechanically or electronically, any prints entered into the competition for use in regard to respect week 2003 and / or respect festival 2003. This applies to both winning and non-winning entries. Photographers will be credited if prints are used. The GLA reserves the right to retain on file images for possible future use / publication in GLA materials or promotions. For such use entrant’s written permission will be obtained. k) Entries will not be permitted from employees of the GLA its photographic contractors, Dixons or Fujifilm. Notes to editors 1. The Mayor's respect anti-racist festival 2003 is dedicated to the memory of Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racist attack ten years ago and will take place from noon at the Dome on Saturday 19 July 2003. 2. respect is a free event organised by Mayor Ken Livingstone, with the National Assembly Against Racism and SERTUC, and highlights the Mayor's commitment to celebrating London's diversity and opposing racism. Last year's event was headlined by De La Soul and attended by over 75,000 people. 3. For
more information contact 020 7983 6554, email info@respectfestival.org.uk,
or visit the official website at www.respectfestival.org.uk. CHANCELLOR
RECOGNISES CHILDCARE'S KEY ROLE IN
The Government has pledged to look at what more needs to be done to create childcare for all, building on the 2002 childcare review. Daycare Trust also welcomes the National Employment Panel's report on supporting lone parents into work and the extra help announced today by the Chancellor. The Budget included measures to support small businesses which will help the development of new childcare services. Stephen Burke, Director of Daycare Trust, said: "The Chancellor is a true childcare champion. His Budget shows why investing in childcare is good for children, parents and society. Childcare is key to giving all children the best start in life and to helping parents into employment and balance work and family life. "The Government's new review of childcare is a great opportunity to achieve childcare for all children and parents who want and need it. The review must tackle the childcare lottery that still exists in Britain where families' access to childcare depends on where they live, their income and employment status. Childcare for all is now within our grasp. "The
Budget is a bonus to children and parents on top of the new tax credits
and family friendly measures introduced earlier this week." Opening up knowledge in social care The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and Research in Practice (RiP) are proud to announce a new online partnership to make research-based knowledge about children and families widely available to those in the field of social care. SCIE is now providing content from subscriber areas of RiP’s website (www.rip.org.uk) free of charge, via the eLSC, SCIE’s electronic library for social care (www.elsc.org.uk). RiP’s extensive evidence base, built up over the last seven years, is now available without charge to those working in social care, health and education and to those whom services are meant to benefit. Bill Kilgallon, SCIE chief executive, said: “One of SCIE’s main objectives is to develop the electronic library for social care as the gateway to knowledge in social care. This partnership with Research in Practice is a first step in our work to build up the eLSC and make sure that knowledge is as widely available as possible.” Celia Atherton, Research in Practice director, said: “Developing this partnership with SCIE is a tangible expression of RiP's commitment to assist those working with the most disadvantaged members of our community to gain more and better access to the evidence and knowledge they need. The internet is not the only way to get what you need but it is rapidly becoming one of the most important – this link between RiP and SCIE will make the web a more useful place for service users and providers alike. “The Research in Practice website holds a wealth of resources, such as the EvidenceBank, a database with details of important research reviews and summaries of research, our research-focused online links sections, an extensively researched collection of access points to good evidence and important polices on the internet and our register of researchers, a comprehensive database of individual researchers in the child welfare field." The SCIE/RiP partnership will be launched today at the Social Services Research Group annual conference in Leicester. Contact
numbers
CHILDCARE PROVIDERS ACROSS UK TO JOIN IN NATIONAL SURE START MONTH 2003
Hundreds of events across the UK are being planned for National Sure Start Month in June giving thousands of families access to vital information about early education, childcare, health and family support.
Sponsored by Sure Start, a new government unit in the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Work and Pensions, National Sure Start Month is being organised by Kids Clubs Network in conjunction with the leading childcare charities.
Sure Start Minister, Catherine Ashton said, "Every child deserves a sure start in life. National Sure Start Month will help parents find out about the variety of Sure Start services available to them. This is essential as parents need to know what is on offer for them to access the type of childcare that most suits their family needs, for example childminders, nurseries, after school care or integrated family support through children's centres. The month is also a great opportunity for those involved in childcare, early education and family support to celebrate their work which can make a real difference to children's lives".
The five major charities taking part in the month have announced their activities which will form the backbone of the month. More information about these and other events during the month can be found on www.nationalsurestartmonth.com
1 - 8 June - National Day Nurseries Week 2003, hosted by National Day Nurseries Association - National Day Nurseries Week focuses on the Sunflower Challenge encouraging children in every day nursery in the country to grow sponsored sunflowers and raise money for the charity WaterAid.
7 - 13 June - Pre-school Playweek 2003, hosted by the Pre-school Learning Alliance - Among the events planned for Pre-school Playweek 2003 are nationwide Teddy Bears' Picnics and Fun Days - all of which focus on the Pre-school Learning Alliance's ethos of 'learning through play' .
9 - 15 June - National Childcare Week 2003, hosted by Daycare Trust - National Childcare Week will focus on 'men and childcare'. Current national activities include the launch of a MORI survey and a new report on key policy issues surrounding men and childcare; a conference "He Who Cares Wins" (10th June) on the issues of men in childcare and an art competition asking children to paint or draw their male hero.
14 - 21 June - National Childminding Week 2003. hosted by National Childminding Association - The theme for National Childminding Week this year is Childminding in every Community highlighting the valuable service that childminders provide every day in every community. NCMA childminding groups will be joining in the fun with hundreds of events, including picnics, sponsored toddles, sports days and day trips.
23 - 30 June - Kids' Clubs Week 2003, hosted by Kids' Clubs Network - To highlight the work of the UK's dedicated and resourceful childcarers Kids' Clubs Network will be hosting the Excellence in Childcare Awards on 24 June to reward the very best in the profession. They will also be releasing the results of a Buzz survey on children's attitudes to the world around them and their hopes for the future.
Chief Executives from all five charities, Stephen Burke, Daycare Trust; Anne Longfield, Kids' Clubs Network; Gill Haynes, National Childminding Association; Rosemary Murphy, National Day Nurseries Association; and Margaret Lochrie, Pre- School Learning Alliance, said: "Childcare and family support services are changing lives throughout the country. Such services can make a real difference to family life, enabling parents to work, children to develop and communities to resolve difficulties. National Sure Start Month presents the perfect opportunity for parents, children and communities to come together to celebrate the fantastic work going on within childcare and family services and the subsequent invaluable benefits to society."
For
more information log onto the website at www.nationalsurestartmonth.com London’s children to have their say on city’s future
The Mayor said: “London is home to 1.62 million children under the age of 18 – more than one-fifth of the total population of the city. But they do not have a vote and have little say in how things are run. “My draft Children and Young People’s Strategy is based on extensive consultation with children – research which has demonstrated that London’s under-18s take a real interest in the way their city is run, and have lots of intelligent ideas about how to improve it. “The aim of the Strategy is to ensure a greater voice for London’s children and young people, so that we can better address the issues that concern them, including tackling child poverty and promoting inclusion and equality for all of London’s children.” Nicky Gavron, Deputy Mayor of London said: “In developing this strategy I’ve learnt that children and young people have strong well-articulated views but no voice. I want the under-16s to have a voice and the over-16s to have the vote. “I have won the principle and funding for a fully staffed Children and Young People’s Unit at City Hall to ensure that children and young people’s best interests and voices are put at the heart of policy making at the Greater London Authority and in the capital.” ‘Towards
a child-friendly London’ is based on the UN Declaration of the
Rights of the Child, which states that children should be seen as full
citizens, with all the rights that that entails, except the vote. The
strategy gives priority to improving the lives of the most deprived
and marginalised children in London. “ NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY TO HOST SEMINAR ON AUTISM AND SEXUALITY The
National Autistic Society (NAS) is holding a one-day seminar discussing The
seminar will be hosted by Luke Beardon, Senior Lecturer in Autism at Tickets
are priced £99 for professionals and practitioners and £60
for Festival Fever – The Seedling Arts Children’s Festival is Back for 2003
Plans are now well underway for the 2003 Festival with an even bigger and better event to be staged from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th August. TV stars will once again be out in force, with a host of children’s favourite characters performing on Centre Stage throughout the event, along with unique music and entertainment acts from across the world. Each day will have a different line-up ensuring all ages and tastes are catered for. Details of full line-up to be announced shortly. Due to the phenomenal success of the workshops in 2002, the entire programme has been massively extended to cope with demand. New workshops already booked for 2003 include print design, art and painting, jewellery design, papermaking, mosaic making and music. The Storytelling Tent is also back by popular demand and will feature story sessions and book signings by some of our best-loved authors, poets and storytellers from both the UK and around the world. The ethos behind this not-for-profit event is to create a fun, partcipative and creative experience for both children and their parents, allowing them to learn and play together. With a feast of workshops, performances and interactive activities, the aim is to provide a non-competitive, inclusive event within a safe and inspiring environment.
The event will be open to the public from 10am – 6pm from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th August 2003. Tickets can be booked by visiting www.seedling-arts.org.uk or by calling the ticket hotline on 0115 912 9000. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the Festival in 2002 and the limited number of places available, we strongly recommend that you book tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Seedling Arts Children’s Festival Details
Parking: Free parking for thousands of cars Venue : Hatfield House (15th – 17th August 2003, Hertfordshire) Opening Times: 10am – 5:30pm daily Ticket Bookings: Book
online at www.seedling-arts.co.uk or call 0115 912 9000 Under
3 years - £5.50 Child
- £8.50 Adults
- £8.50 Family
- £31.00 (2 adults & 2 children) Website
Address www.seedling-arts.org.uk 82% OF WORKING PARENTS ADMIT TO BEING LATE TO COLLECT CHILDREN
· 100% of UK working parents say their greatest childcare concern is being late to collect their child · 48% of these have been delayed on at least one occasion as a result of over-running meetings or unreliable public transport · Of these, 76% claim that on occasion they have not had the phone number needed to contact the carer or to arrange for a friend or relative to collect the child · 87% say the ability to access all personal and professional contact details via their mobile phone would provide peace of mind
April 9, 2003: Research published today by Xpherix Corporation, the leading provider of personalised mobile connectivity solutions, revealed that working parents feel that they are inadequately prepared to cope with last minute childcare changes.
100 working parents, with primary responsibility for managing their children’s days were interviewed in the UK about how they cross-manage their working and private lives. The interviews focused on the use of manual and electronic devices such as diaries, address-books, PDAs and mobile phones used to co-ordinate work, school and post-school demands including meetings, medical appointments and leisure activities.
All of the parents interviewed said that being late to collect their child caused them and the child the greatest distress. 98% said that they carried a mobile phone so they could be contacted at all times, but over a quarter admitted to more than once not being able to call the school to say they would be late, or to ask a friend to pick the child up in their place due to not having access to correct numbers.
Emma Reese, a working parent and solicitor from Hammersmith, London explained: “I work for a firm of solicitors in the City. I regularly have to travel around London in the course of my working day. Usually, meetings are scheduled well in advance so I am able to ensure adequate childcare for my two children – an eight year old with a busy after school schedule and a two year old that attends a day-care centre that closes sharply at 6.30pm. However, on several occasions, I have found myself in a meeting that has gone on beyond the expected time and then found myself on a delayed tube journey desperately trying to contact people who can collect my children.”
Emma continued: “Typically, I have all of the contact details I need on my desk at work, but consciously trying to keep my personal and professional lives separate, I find it difficult to ask colleagues to read out reams of numbers until I can find a friend or relative to collect the children, or at very least call the school or club to let them know that I will be late. Even with access to Outlook contacts on my laptop, on a crowded tube it is literally impossible to open it up, let alone access the address book, write down numbers and then dial them while holding all my client case notes, briefcase and laptop bag.”
Like Emma, of those questioned, over two-thirds admitted that they had on occasion failed to make a vital call because they did not have the number to hand. 82% of these believe an independently held directory that could be accessed much like a traditional directory enquiries service would prevent this happening again, especially if it could be accessed 24 hours a day from their mobile phone.
Nick
Walker, President and CEO, Xpherix Corporation said, “These findings
support the fact that people rely very heavily on having up to date
contact details to hand and want these to be easily accessible through
their mobile phones. So often, address book information on phones is
not entirely up to date and it’s both time-consuming and irritating
to have to use another device to get hold of contacts. This research
highlights the mobile features that really benefit the person balancing
children with a career - the simple practical features of a mobile phone,
in this case the ability to directly access and dial contacts when you
need to.”
NATIONAL
CHILDCARE WEEK SPOTLIGHTS In the
lead up to Fathers Day on 15 June, the theme of National National
Childcare Week on 9-15 June will feature national activities National
Childcare Week is part of National Sure Start Month which will
NEW DADS WANT LION’S SHARE OF THE CARE Forget the “old-fashioned father” who works long hours and sees little of his children except at weekends…“today’s Dad" wants to spend more time with his children and ” would even prefer to be staying at home to look after the kids! New government legislation will help him to do just that. A nationwide survey conducted by the number one selling children's medicine brand Calpol in association with Bounty has revealed that almost half of all dads (45%) would stay at home to look after their children instead of going out to work “if they could”. Four out of five dads also said they would like to spend more time with their children – reflecting the fact that British men work the longest hours in Europe . Although it’s estimated that 39% of new dads currently don’t take paternity leave, the survey showed a massive 68% would like to make use of the Government’s new paid paternity leave arrangements if possible. And the vast majority of dads questioned (98%) did not feel that becoming a father would compromise their career. “The fact that men want to help more with the children is a push-and-pull issue,” says psychologist Professor Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology at the Manchester School of Management, UMIST . “The push comes from the fact that work is much more stressful for men than it’s ever been before, with longer hours, constant pressure and more job insecurity than ever before. The pull comes from men saying: ‘Maybe there’s more to life than just climbing up the greasy pole’. It’s a pull towards their partners and their children because men are starting to appreciate family life more. Employers tend to be 'bottom-line' orientated and less loyal these days but families are there for the long-term.” Chief executive of Parentalk , Tim Mungeam commented: “It seems that we’ve finally realised what a great thing being a fully involved dad is. Sure, it’s sometimes exhausting, often exasperating and always challenging but it’s fantastic for us and fantastic for our kids”. The reason that the dads surveyed said their careers would not be compromised by fatherhood is, said Professor Cooper, the hope that employers now have a more positive attitude to flexible working arrangements and the importance of work-life balance. "This changing attitude of employers may also enable men to be more focused and prioritise successfully during work and therefore achieve that balance," says Professor Cooper However, the Calpol survey highlights that Dads often feel ill-prepared for parenthood. More than a third admitted that they felt helpless, apprehensive or overwhelmed during their baby’s birth and one in five worry about their child’s health afterwards. “Invariably, it’s still the woman who’s the primary carer in a family and she’s got her own mother and friends as role models, plus endless magazines and books on childcare to help her,” comments Professor Cooper. “But men haven’t got these positive role models because their fathers rarely got involved in the childcare and, unlike women, they have few educational outlets like magazines to provide them with basic information about childcare practices.” To address the concerns highlighted by the survey and support dads in a more practical way, Calpol has produced the Pregnant Dad’s Rescue Pack, which provides information and advice on not only surviving but enjoying pregnancy and the birth of a new child. The pack also includes information on the new government legislation on paternity rights. The Calpol Pregnant Dad's Rescue Pack is available free to all new and prospective parents by calling 02380 628 274. And
finally, it seems that dads are not just becoming more selfless when
it comes to sharing the parenting responsibilities, but also with their
partners too. Over a third of dads surveyed worried about lack of time
with their partner but only 16% were concerned about losing time for
themselves. “By participating more in family life, dads will have
more time with their partner anyway which can only be a good thing,”
says Professor Cooper.
Onscreen
testing for basic and key skills qualifications is being rolled
out In addition
to the live basic and key skills tests, both partners have The onscreen
tests will improve candidate registration, the delivery and Training
centres download the test from the central computer and then choose Paul Humphries,
General Manager of e-Business at Edexcel said: "Onscreen Onscreen
tests also offer flexibility to training centres and students. Muna Henry,
Learning Venue Manager at North West London College's The Amy Mayhew,
from Laing Training Centre in Edmonton, London, said: "We had Humphries
continues: "We have started piloting GCSE exams onscreen but they
NATIONAL SURE START MONTH OPENS DOORS FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN TO EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE
Parenthood can be the best times but also the busiest with work and family. Hectic parents often do not have the time to find out about the many supporting services from early education and childcare, health and family support which can help them juggle a demanding life style. National Sure Start Month, this June, gives parents a unique opportunity to find out about the thousands of services available for children and families by the numerous events which will be staged for parents and families to join in.
All you need to do is visit our website at www.nationalsurestartmonth.com to find out about activities that are being held in your local community and how you can access the great services to help support your family. One of the key elements to a successful family life is good childcare: Did you know that ... the first ever play centres were set up in schools way back in the 1880s Did you know that ... Danny from Hearsay started his working life as a nursery worker Did you know that ... Registered childminders provide at least 3 million hours of childcare a week - for over 330,000 children Sponsored by Sure Start, a new government unit in the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Work and Pensions, Sure Start Month is being organised by Kids Clubs Network in conjunction with the leading childcare charities. The charities including Daycare Trust, National Childminding Association, National Day Nurseries Association, Pre-School Learning Alliance and Kids Clubs Network will each be holding events in specific weeks: Events 1 - 8 June National Day Nurseries Week 7 - 13 June Pre-school Playweek 9 - 15 June National Childcare Week 14 - 21 June National Childminding Week 23 - 30 June Kids' Clubs Week
National Sure Start Month gives parents a great chance to celebrate early education services and childcare whilst finding out what is available for their children.
Loughborough firm take the lead in toy safety
In today’s demanding consumer environment, toys are increasingly becoming laden with electronic gadgets to keep pace with children’s high expectations. As hundreds of new products feature lasers and LEDs, safety has become a number one concern for both manufacturers and consumers. This is compounded by the move by manufacturers from radio controllers to infra red LEDs due to concerns brought about by mobile phones.
Celebrities back The Children's Society phone line first Children's
charity pioneers a fresh look to fundraising with its phone line
Calls cost
£1.50** per minute and in return, callers can listen to various Atomic
Kitten band members, Liz and Jenny, actor, Rupert Graves, and Other celebrities
from all walks of life who committed to the campaign The Children's
Society's fundraising director Stephen Blunden said "We need "Gift
of Giving is a mechanism we believe they will understand and enjoy.
It Callers
can also listen to a specially commissioned campaign song called "Through
Gift of Giving we are pioneering a new way of donating, as The 'Gift
of Giving' campaign launches with a major advertising campaign Liz and
Jenny, Atomic Kitten say: Tamzin
Outhwaite, TV actress, says: |
The
national childcare charity Daycare Trust applauds the Chancellor's commitment
in today's Budget to review how childcare can best support the drive
to end child poverty in the lead up to the next spending review.
With
art, craft, music and drama workshops, a range of children’s favourite
authors, circus entertainers and a host of TV stars, including the Tweenies
and Angelina Ballerina, it was non-stop action at the Hatfield House
venue throughout three glorious days. 
The
Festival not only provides children with a fantastic day out but also
gives parents the unique opportunity to take an active role in their
child’s experience rather than sitting on the sidelines.  Top |
 |
 Main Menu |