Benefits for member institutions
The Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN) has drawn up the following list of benefits for member institutions to facilitate understanding of what the ECSDN does and how it can be extremely beneficial for member institutions and programmes.

Recruitment 
Institutions that are members of the Network have access to free advertising for:

• Job vacancies
• External examiner
• External adviser vacancies
• Validation panel members

The Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network website
Members of the ECSDN have:

• A direct weblink to their institution on the ECSDN website
• Access to all meeting information and resources e.g. presentations, papers

A forum for response to policy consultations and news/information/research
Members of the ECSDN:

• Receive direct invitations to participate or contribute to consultation responses, for example on new education, policy and practice initiatives/developments
• Are kept abreast of information and new education, policy and practice developments,
• Have opportunities to contribute to new developments and to collaborate with research
• Have opportunity for contribution to and updating of QAA Subject Benchmark Statements for Early Childhood Studies
• Have opportunities for their students to engage with the network, including participating in ECSDN events such as the Annual Research Conference held in January each year

Direct links to key influential Early Childhood organisations and pressure groups
For example, through membership, institutions have links with:

• The EYFS Coalition
• Early Years Workforce Commission
• The Early Childhood Forum (ECSDN is a member)
• The National Children’s Bureau (and its fortnightly Early Childhood Unit bulletin)
• TACTYC
• SEFDEY,
• Department for Education
• Early Years Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group
• More than a Score
• National College for Teaching and Leadership, and
• Teach First
• Various All-Party Parliamentary Groups relating to Early Childhood

Attendance at the ECSDN meetings
Any number of staff from Member Institutions may attend the Network Meetings in March July and November and have the opportunity to:

• meet colleagues from other higher education institutions to identify shared issues and to collaborate on new developments.
• engage with expert speakers from a wide range of education, policy and research contexts
• share and build on best practice

The ECSDN Strategy Group
Named representatives of institutions can be elected on to the ECSDN Strategy Group at the AGM (November). The Strategy Group is influential in the organisational strategy and continuing development of the ECSDN. It meets in February, May and October each year.

Opportunities for funding 
Institutions that are members of the Network have opportunities to apply for specific funding opportunities for research and knowledge development, either individually or with other member institutions.

Carolyn Silberfeld - March 2020