The notion that space is liberty informs provision in a number of countries. Germany is highly environmentally conscious and new buildings must meet strict ecological requirements. In Frankfurt and Berlin there have been outstanding new building programmes for kindergartens which emphasize the importance of good architecture for children as well as careful ecology. Denmark has more than 120 woodland kindergartens which operate on the outskirts of towns throughout the year as a resource for daycare centres. Targets for working with parents and the community - Family lifestyles and structures have changed considerably in the last twenty years, and such family diversity has to be accepted.
Parents are collaborators and participants in early years services.
As such they have a right to give and receive information and the right to express their views, both formally and informally. Most services for young children are local services and the children who attend them come from the local neighbourhood. Services should adopt employment procedures which emphasize the importance of recruiting employees who reflect the ethnic diversity of the local community. The nurseries cater for working parents and offer educational opportunities to non-working parents through informal classes and courses for subjects as diverse as parenting skills, yoga or writing clubs. France funds cr ches parentales - nurseries for children under three run by parents who also work with the children alongside regularly employed workers.