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About the Best Start Partnership

About Us

The Best Start Partnership brings together the voices of children and families with representatives from the public, private, community and voluntary sectors in the development, implementation and evaluation of government strategy and policy.

The Best Start Partnership provides strategic leadership across government departments and partner agencies to ensure that early years and childhood policy is co-ordinated, resource allocation is effectively prioritised and high-quality practice is embedded across services and organisations.

The Partnership develops, guides and oversees delivery plans and has an active role in implementation.

Our Programmes

The Best Start Partnership brings together the voices of children and families with representatives from the public, private, community and voluntary sectors in the development, implementation and evaluation of government strategy and policy.

Best Start for All

Building strong foundations for children's futures by supporting all children in Jersey to flourish.
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Best Start Plus

Through our Best Start Plus programme we support children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families.
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Best Start Together

Recognising the strength of children, families and services working in partnership to achieve the best possible outcomes for all children.
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Best Start Extra

Supporting children with complex needs.
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Our Vision

We appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage of life and are aware that the quality of childhood experience has lifelong consequences. We want to provide opportunities for all children to become confident and resilient individuals, successful learners, and responsible citizens and that they have safe, stable, stimulating, and nurturing relationships with their parents and/or carers.

All our children deserve to have the best start in life, growing up in an environment that nurtures their development, derives safety and security from their parents and care givers, accesses high quality early years services and encourages them to aspire for the future and their ability to achieve them. What children experience in their earliest years is key to their success in adulthood.

Our vision is for Jersey to be the best place for all children to grow up and our mission is to make Jersey a child and family friendly island

We recognise that all parents want the best for their children and value the vital role played by parents and carers in securing the best outcomes for them in early childhood. During the early years adults have significant impact on children’s health and physical development, social, emotional, and personal learning and on the development of their language and communication skills.

We believe that working together with families, communities, and partner agencies in an integrated way, will deliver high quality services which will meet the needs of all our children.

Best Start Plus

Our Partners

The Best Start Partnership is a collaboration between representatives from the public, private, community and voluntary sectors that have as common objective to represent Jersey’s children and families in the implementation, development and evaluation of the Government’s strategy and policies.

The JCCT is an independent charity, promoting high quality, affordable childcare for families in Jersey, Channel Islands since 1997.

Family Nursing & Home Care is a Jersey charity. Their ethos is to help islanders start well, live well and age well

Jersey Sport exists to lead, champion and enable participation and excellence in sport for everyone in Jersey. 

Driving change to improve the system that keeps children safe, secure and supported.

Brighter Futures is a local charity that supports parents, carers, children and young people in Jersey.

Every Child Our Future wants every child in the Channel Islands to get the best possible education, no matter what their circumstances.

JEYA is the organisation representing all private childcare providers.

The leading provider of Adult & Community Education on the island. 

A Christian presence across the Island of Jersey. 

A voice for families with children or young adults with special needs.

Bringing Government of Jersey Early Years teams to the partnership. 

The NSPCC is the UK’s leading children’s charity, preventing abuse and helping those affected to recover.

Bringing together registered Childminders. 

Providing opportunities for Nature Play across the Island.

Our Reports

Jersey Futures Planning in Partnership (2024)
The Importance of Play
Social Mobility
Outcomes Framework for Early Childhood In Jersey
Magical Event
Jersey Service Map
Best Start Event Report

Our Team

Amber Coupland

Best Start Partnership Manager

a.coupland@gov.je

Joana Caetano

Best Start Partnership Administrator

j.caetano@gov.je

Dr Cathy Hamer

Best Start Partnership Independent Chair