Supporting the future of early years provision in Jersey

This blog describes our recent work supporting the Government in Jersey in developing their approach to early childhood education and care.

What were we asked to do?

Isos Partnership was commissioned by the Government of Jersey to deliver two related projects to support the future development of early childhood education and care (ECEC) for children aged 0–5. 

The first project focused on working with stakeholders across the system to co-develop a clear, evidence-based set of policy proposals. A year later, Isos was recommissioned to undertake a second project exploring parents’ and carers’ experiences of childcare, ensuring that the next stage of reform was grounded in lived experience.  

Together, these projects supported the evidence base for and development of a high-quality, sustainable system that meets the needs of children, families and the wider economy.

What did we do?

We delivered two distinct but connected projects over time. In the first project, focused on system design, we:

  • reviewed international evidence on effective early years systems to build a shared understanding of best practice;

  • convened a diverse group of stakeholders - including providers, government, employers and parents - through a series of structured roundtables; and

  • facilitated consensus-building sessions to agree priorities and develop a set of future policy proposals.

A year later, in the second project, we were commissioned to deepen the evidence base through a dedicated parent and carer research programme. We: 

  • designed and delivered a large-scale mixed-methods study, including a survey of 1,250 parents and carers;

  • ran in-depth focus groups with a diverse range of parents and carers, including those with children with additional needs and different language backgrounds; and

  • explored childcare use, perceptions of quality, barriers to access, and wider impacts on wellbeing and employment.

This second project built directly on the earlier system design work, providing deeper insight into the experiences and priorities of families.

What difference did we make?

Across the two projects, we provided the Government of Jersey with both a strategic framework for reform and a strong, evolving evidence base to underpin it. 

The initial stakeholder engagement work built consensus across a diverse and sometimes fragmented system, resulting in a clear set of agreed policy priorities for the future of early years provision.  

The follow-up research ensured that parents and carers had a direct voice in shaping how those priorities are taken forward. It highlighted the real-world impact of childcare challenges on family wellbeing, employment and life choices, and identified three core structural issues: affordability, availability and flexibility.  

Together, the projects have informed ongoing policy development, investment decisions and long-term planning in Jersey. They provide a credible, evidence-led foundation for building an early years system that supports children to thrive and enables families to participate fully in work and island life. 

‘It was a pleasure to work with Isos on these projects. They were professional, courteous, and delivered excellent resources in a timely manner.’ - Senior Policy Official, Government of Jersey

Adam Lewis