The Parental Engagement Fund is aimed at assisting children from disadvantaged backgrounds who are in the early years and early primary phases (ages 2-6 years). The Fund wishes to support the growth, increased effectiveness and measurement of the impact of parental engagement projects aimed at improving children’s cognitive development.

Esmee Fairbairn FoundationThe Fund will support interventions or approaches that aim to improve child cognitive development as evidenced by early year’s foundation stage profile, performance on standardised tests or teacher assessments.

The primary beneficiaries of work supported by the fund will be children who are disadvantaged by social and economic factors such as lack of parental education, low family income, parents in receipt of means tested benefits or living in areas of high deprivation.

Not-for-profit organisations (including community groups, voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises) based and working in the UK can apply for grants of between £50,000 and £200,000 for each project over the two to three year funding period.

The initial grant will be made for one year. Following a review process after the completion of the first year of delivery, a further grant for the following years may be agreed.
The organisation should have promising parental engagement approaches and the organisational potential to grow and improve their work in order to reach more children and families.
Projects should target one or more of the following areas:

.Literacy
.Numeracy
.Language
.Behavioural, social, and emotional
.Parenting and home learning environment
.Parental involvement in setting activities and/or strategic decision making
.Home School Partnership

The deadline for Expressions of Interest is 5 December 2014 (5pm).