Purnima Tanuku OBE, NDNA Chief Executive, says:
"NDNA believes children should benefit from the highest-quality early education and childcare. International evidence has proven that children who attend childcare such as a nurseries gain an advantage in all areas of development. Long-term studies of a large sample of children, such as those carried out by Professor Kathy Sylva, have found children attending early education experience no negative effects in development outcomes, and where childcare is of a high quality, children demonstrate clear development gains in language, cognitive development and peer sociability.
"High-quality nurseries engage with and support parents and carers so that children’s learning can be extended at home.
"The Government’s initiative to extend free early education to the 20% most disadvantaged two year olds in England from September this year is recognition that the experience of early education and childcare plays a vital role in improving children’s development outcomes and that children reap the benefit in their later schooling. NDNA has called for these free early education places to be adequately funded so that parents can access the highest-quality of care possible for their children."