The VALUE project is inspired by General Comment 7 on the UN Children Right’s Convention. This General Comment arises out of the Committee’s experiences of reviewing States parties’ reports. In many cases, very little information has been offered about early childhood. Therefore, the aim of this General Comment is to encourage recognition that young children are holders of all rights enshrined in the Convention and that early childhood is a critical period for the realization of these rights.
This comment, amongst others, includes a strong plea for professional training for all staff:
“Provision of services appropriate to the circumstances, age and individuality of young children requires that all staff be trained to work with this age group. Work with young children should be socially valued and properly paid, in order to attract a highly qualified workforce, men as well as women. It is essential that they have sound, up-to-date theoretical and practical understanding about children’s rights and development (see also paragraph 41); that they adopt appropriate child-centred care practices, curricula and pedagogies; and that they have access to specialist professional resources and support, including a supervisory and monitoring system for public and private programmes, institutions and services.” (United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF & Bernard van Leer Foundation, 2006, p 45).
