This resource has been prepared for learners studying for the Level 2 qualification Care, Play, Learning, and Child Development: Practice and Theory and Unit 001 Principles and Values of Care, Play, Learning and Child Development (ages 0-19).
Some of the major principles behind Unit 001 are introduced through case studies, that is 4 stories of young children attending early childhood provision, such as nursery or a cylch meithrin. Here they are:
- Deio who is 3 years old and has epilepsy.
- Hanna who is 4 years old and has diabetes.
- Eshaal who is 3 years old and has allergies.
- Caio who is three and a half years old and has autism.
The studies offer a view of the children through the lens of themes relevant to Deio, Hanna, Eshaal, and Caio – and to every child in fact. These themes – the big principles – are:
- Children's rights
- Inclusion
- Equality of opportunity
The most important thing, of course, in any provision is to ensure that all children are safe, but children's conditions should not interfere with their right to have fun, to learn, to enjoy the company of other children, to adventure in the open air...
These major principles are framed in legislation such as: the Children Act 1989 and 2004, the Equality Act 2010, the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. And there are policies and guidelines such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Welsh Government's Seven Core Aims. These will be a thread through the 4 case studies and they apply to Deio, Hanna, Eshaal, and Cai and yet, they are important to all children.
