Minister Congratulates Edge Hill Student on Landmark Award

An Edge Hill University student has been praised by a Government Minister after becoming the 1,000th person to achieve the "gold standard" in Early Years care.

Poonam Puri was awarded Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) by the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC).

The awards, launched in 2006, mean that thousands of children are now accessing a higher quality of Early Years education and mark a key milestone in the development of the Status.

Beverley Hughes, Minister of State for the Department of Children, Schools and Families commented on the milestone and adds: "I warmly congratulate Poonam and her fellow Early Years Professionals who have reached the gold standard in their field. There is no question that their work will make a great difference to the development of young children in their care. Our new £175m Graduate Leader Fund will help develop a more highly skilled Early Years workforce and ensure that every full daycare nursery can employ an EYP like Poonam." "I therefore look forward to congratulating many more Early Years Professionals over the coming months and years."

Poonam Puri has now joined Staffordshire Council?s Early Years and Childcare team. She said: "I am delighted to have achieved Early Years Professional Status. It has been a challenge and, at times, hard work, but it has definitely been worth it. I can already see how it makes a difference to my practice and how it can make a difference to the quality of care and education that we provide for children. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a career in early years as it is a real chance to discover how to reach new heights in your practice. It has also formalised my skills and knowledge into a recognisable status, which will help my long term career development."

Jane Haywood, Chief Executive of CWDC adds: "We are delighted to be awarding the 1,000th status to Poonam. The pace of EYPS has been astounding, and we are pleased that thousands of children are already benefiting from an Early Years Professional working in their setting. We hope that the wealth of information we now have available will help promote the benefits of the Status to those already working in early years, and in attracting new workers to this vital sector. I would like to congratulate Poonam on becoming the 1,000th EYP, and also send our thanks to all the other candidates who have worked hard to achieve accreditation, and hope those who are currently studying for this Status find it an enjoyable and rewarding experience."

CWDC is currently running a recruitment campaign to promote the benefits of EYPS for those already working in or who are interested in working in childcare. As well as being able to access a free DVD featuring interviews with Early Years Professionals, those interested in the Status can also view a wealth of further information including a prospectus on CWDC's website.