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There is growing evidence among researchers and international organisations that quality of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), and ultimately the outcomes for children and families -especially disadvantaged ones -is dependent on well-educated and competent staff, and that a lack of higher pre-service training can be partly compensated by in-service training of a sufficient intensity and length. In this article an overview is given of three qualitative studies of the competences needed to work in ECEC with children and families at risk. These three studies focus on ECEC practitioners who have played an active role in a change process aimed at developing a new pedagogical approach to working with children and parents with disadvantaged backgrounds. The three studies also strengthen the view that pedagogical support, sustained over long periods of time and developed by specialised staff (such as pedagogical coaches), is seen as a successful way to develop reflective thinking on practice and to construct new knowledge and practices when working with families and children. To conclude, the article tries to define how in-service training can be organised in a comprehensive way. RÉSUMÉ: Il est aujourd'hui suffisamment clair, selon les chercheurs comme les organisations internationales, que la qualité de l'accueil et de l'éducation de la petite enfance et les effets sur les enfants et les familles -et en particulier ceux vivant dans la précarité -dépendent largement des compétences et de la formation des professionnel(le)s. Il est également clair qu'une formation initiale insuffisante peut être en partie compensée par une formation continue, pourvu que celle-ci soit conséquente. Cet article donne un apercu de trois études qualitatives sur les compétences requises dans le travail avec des familles et enfants à risques. Ces trois études concernent des professionnel(le)s ayant joué un rôle actif dans un processus de changement visant à développer une nouvelle approche pédagogique avec ces enfants et familles. Elles montrent que le soutien pédagogique par des équipes spécialisées et sur des périodes suffisamment longues est un moyen efficace pour développer une réflexion critique sur les pratiques et de nouveaux savoirs et savoir-faire. Pour conclure, l'article tente de définir l'organisation d'une telle formation continue. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Evidenz von wissenschaftlichen Studien und auch von internationalen Organisationen stärkt zunehmend die Annahme, dass die Qualität frühkindlicher Bildung und Betreuung und letztendlich auch die Auswirkungen auf Kinder und ihre Familien -vor allem auf benachteiligte Kinder -abhängig von gut ausgebildeten und kompetenten Fachkräften sind. Dabei kann eine fehlende Ausbildung auf Hochschulniveau teilweise durch Fort-und Weiterbildung von ausreichender Intensität und Dauer kompensiert werden. Dieser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über drei qualitative Studien hinsichtlich der Kompetenzen, die für die frühpädagogische Arbeit mit Kindern und Familien in Risikolagen erforderlich sind. Im Mi...

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Researchers and international organisations recognise that the quality of ECEC services is related to a professional and competent workforce. The latter should be part of a 'competent system' that is capable of linking staff's initial good education to the possibility of constantly reflecting on ideas and practices. Continuous professional development initiatives (CPD) are crucial in this discourse. This article explores possibilities for CPD paths, with a focus on group-reflection methods in which the team/group reflects on its own practice. More specifically, it presents the Wanda method which was developed by VBJK and Artevelde University College in Belgium (Fl.) through a European Social Fund (ESF) project and then adapted to the contexts of four European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia) within the ISSA (International Step by Step Association) network. In 2016, VBJK was appointed by Unicef to offer a Training of the Trainers (TOT) on CPD in Albania with the possibility of readapting the Wanda method to the Albanian preschool context. The article ends by presenting this Albanian experience in greater detail.

There is broad consensus amongst researchers and international organisations that the quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC), which means the wellbeing of children and families, depends on welleducated and competent staff. This remains a challenge in Europe, since part of the workforce is also represented by low-qualified ECEC assistants in many EU countries. In the CoRe study (2011), assistants are defined as 'invisible workers', meaning that their presence is usually not taken into account in policy documents and that they have far fewer possibilities of qualification and professional development than core practitioners. Building on the findings of the CoRe study, a recent NESET II report reviewed the profiles of ECEC assistants in 15 European countries and their professionalisation opportunities. This article describes the report's findings, with a focus on the roles of assistants and on how to create coherent pathways towards their qualification and continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities. The latter is shown through the examples of three case studies carried out in Denmark, France and Slovenia. Recommendations for policy makers are included in the conclusions. The framework of the article is the 'competent system': as pointed out in the CoRe study, individual competences alone are not sufficient to create quality. A 'competent system' is needed which includes collaboration between individuals, teams and institutions and has competent governance at policy level.This means working within a holistic 'educare' approach that is able to value the educative role of caring and the caring role of education.