| Overview: Childcare Study Tour
to North Devon
19th -23rd June 2006
In June 2006, the social partnership, Concordia, organised and funded a Childcare study tour to examine best practice in Devon, a county which provides some excellent examples of how funding for extended schools, early years provision and childcare can be put to good use. The itinerary was of relevance to both the private and public sectors, as well as the voluntary and community sectors. The programme also examined childcare issues from both a rural and urban perspective.
Concordia invited applications from individuals whose paid or voluntary work related to childcare from 0-14 years, the extended schools initiative early years support and/or the development of family-friendly policies. Applicants were expected to work in a paid or voluntary capacity in the private, voluntary and community, or trade union sectors. Successful applicants had to be prepared to disseminate widely the results of their learning from the tour.
Above all, Concordia wanted to select a group which ensured collectively that this tour was of real long-term value in taking childcare forward in Northern Ireland. The subsequent media publicity that accompanied the launch of Concordia’s ‘Childcare That Works’ document on the back of the findings from this tour has ensured our objective was achieved.
The post-tour report is available below. | 
