Everything the Princess of Wales does generates headlines.

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For years, she has used her influence to shine a spotlight on early years education, drawing national attention to the role the first few years of a child’s life play in everything that follows. It has made her one of the early years sector’s greatest allies. And now her visit to Italy this week, the first stop on an international tour of world-leading early years settings, sees her taking that work global.

But I can’t help but think that if it’s best practice inspiration we’re after, we ought to look closer to home. And I mean that literally. For decades, childminders on thousands of streets across England have opened their front doors to offer children small, nurturing, home‑from‑home environments that mirror, and could even rival, many of the approaches that will be celebrated on this tour.

From emotional regulation to cognitive development, research consistently tells us how much these home-based settings support children’s development. In fact, children cared for in home environments experience some of the smoothest transitions into primary school - something that should be front of mind for parents, educators, and policymakers alike, given plummeting school readiness........

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