ABSTRACT
In this chapter we discuss recent social policy and indicate its influence on Early Years education. We view this discussion as important for Early Years teachers and also for primary teachers who need to be aware of policies and principles affecting children in the early years. UK social policy concerning children, including early childhood has, since 1992, been set within the context of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC 1989). Beneath this global umbrella of children’s rights sits European legislation, the European Social Charter (1996) and Human Rights Act (1998), and within this national legislation most notably the Children Act (2004), which launched Every Child Matters: The Next Steps for Children (DfES 2004a).
