An outreach programme aimed at encouraging parents to take up free childcare places in Liverpool has seen a dramatic increase in participation in just six weeks.
The programme, commissioned by Liverpool City Council and run by social enterprise Outreach Solutions, targeted two deprived areas of the city where take up of free childcare places for two-year-olds was low and increased it by 17%.
The number of eligible children taking up free places rose from 56% to 73% in the target areas of Clubmoor and Norris Green in north Liverpool and Knotty Ash and Yewtree in the east of the city
All of the children entering free childcare will now receive 15 hours of support per week to support their learning and development.
Liverpool has around 3,000 free places as part of a national programme targeted at low-income families, but by June 2015 more than 1,100 places had not been taken up.
Outreach Solutions was therefore brought in to run a targeted campaign using a combination of community engagement, end-user events, one-to-ones and an awareness-raising campaign using leaflets and posters.
The initiative helped an additional 187 two-year-olds into childcare and early years learning places.
Jan Gallagher, Service Manager, Early Help at Liverpool City Council, said:
‘The outreach programme has clearly had a very positive impact on the take-up of free childcare places among some of our hardest to reach families. It demonstrates the value of taking a tailored approach that also engages communities and involves them in championing the importance of early years learning.
‘What is particularly encouraging is how Outreach Solution's innovative way of working has created momentum in such a short space of time. The programme has really energised communities to raise awareness of free childcare for two year olds and this should continue to push up participation rates in those areas in the future.’
Caroline England, Head of Research and Evaluation at Outreach Solutions, said:
‘This project demonstrates the importance of tailoring the way you try to reach a wide range of people from different backgrounds. Traditional approaches often aren't effective in reaching those who would benefit most from free childcare.
‘It's also vital to recognise that getting key messages across and raising awareness can take time. By truly engaging with communities and identifying those who will proactively share the message it's possible to have a sustained impact.’
