Enhancing quality in early childhood education and care through participation (EQuaP)

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) has become a policy priority in many countries as well as a priority at EU level as pointed out in the Erasmus+ programming documents as well as in the context of the main strategic policy document pertaining education (ET 2020).There are five areas of quality that have been identified by policies for an improved child development:
1. goals and minimum standards;
2. curriculum and learning standards;
3. workforce quality;
4. family and community engagement;
5. data, research and monitoring (OECD, 2012).
The main problem that the project EQUAP has identified and intends to address stands in the fact that involvement and participation of the parents and carers are scarcely or not sufficiently acknowledged as a key component contributing to quality of the ECEC.
Starting from existing quality indicators of participation, improved indicators more effective in terms of measuring participation as a process will be developed. The main long term impact of the project will be an increased awareness and centrality attached to participation of families and carers as a key component enhancing quality of the Early Childhood Education and Care.