Young Children's Voices Network

YCVN promotes listening within the early years. Established by the Early Childhood Unit at NCB in 2006, the national network has supported local authorities in developing good practice in listening to young children, so that young children's views may inform policy and improve early childhood services. YCVN no longer operates as a funded project however the network and its resources remain integral to the work of the Early Childhood Unit.  

In 2013 the Early Childhood Unit will bring together all its networks to form one network to provide support to the early years workforce across England. The ECU network will bring together special interest groups from the original networks including YCVN, and aims to maintain a focus on key aspects of effective practice including listening and participation, challenging inequalities, and quality and leadership to support continuous quality improvement in the early years.  

Local authorities and organisations can set up a local YCVN for practitioners in their area to:

• Support practitioners by offering opportunities to share practice, and by providing training and undertaking projects that focus on listening to young children.
• Share children's voices to inform the design, development and delivery of services.

For information on training, resources and consultancy to help you set up a local YCVN or continue developing listening practice in your area, please contact Lucy Williams at lwilliams@ncb.org.uk or on 020 7843 6078.