New Flying Start evaluation report published

A new evaluation report into the experiences of parents using the Welsh Government’s programme to help children in the most deprived areas of Wales has been published (Weds 16th Oct).

Flying Start aims to make a decisive difference to the lives of children in the most disadvantaged communities. It offers eligible parents free quality childcare for 2-3 year olds, parenting support, an enhanced health visitor service and help for early language development.

The Welsh Government recently announced an £11 million funding boost to the programme so that more families can benefit from the scheme.

The new report is part of a series produced by Ipsos MORI for the national evaluation of Flying Start. It focuses specifically on the experiences of high need parents and is based on in-depth interviews with parents receiving Flying Start services.

The findings include:

• Parents were often very positive about the enhanced health visitor support they had received and often favourably compared it to previous experiences of non-Flying Start health visiting that they had experienced with their older children.
• Early language development was frequently cited by parents who said that their child was talking more often and clearly, had an improved vocabulary and had an opportunity to practice their Welsh.
• Parents reported that their children had learned a range of literacy and numeracy skills such as counting, reciting the alphabet and naming colours.
• Parents reported good experiences of the Flying Start childcare on offer. The high quality of the provision was often emphasised and some felt it was better than the private childcare or nursery that they had previously experienced.
• Language and play was much less appreciated than other elements of Flying Start because many parents did not understand how it would help them or their children and instead often perceived it as more of a social opportunity.
• Language and play did often present an opportunity to do activities that families did not normally undertake at home, and gave parents ideas about imaginative and inexpensive ways to help their children learn.
• Fathers’ experience of the Flying Start programme differed to that of mothers. Few had taken up any services and were often less engaged from the outset.

By the end of 2012-13 23,579 children will be able to benefit from Flying Start and Ministers want the scheme to cover 36,000 children and their families by the end of the Assembly term in 2016.

The Deputy Minister for Tackling Poverty Vaughan Gething said:

“Flying Start is at the heart of our drive to help families in our most disadvantaged communities. That is why we are increasing investment into this policy to enable more children to get the right start in life.

“It is always important that we understand the impact Flying Start is having. This report, the first in a series, is part of our continuous monitoring and evaluation of Flying Start to ensure it continues to make a real difference to the lives of children.”