I've never regarded being the chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) as a job - it's much more than that.
In 1998 I was chairman when I was approached to take on the role of NDNA's first chief executive. I agreed to do so because I wanted the voice of the day nursery sector to be heard. The organisation then grew much faster than we all expected. We have gone from two people in a tiny office to a large head office, a presence in the regions and a total of nearly 100 staff.
Although I am now stepping down as chief executive, I can't imagine not continuing to be involved in the sector. I will continue to support NDNA's policy work in an advisory role.
We have achieved a lot from our early days as a small organisation. While representing and supporting nursery owners, we have developed the Quality Counts accreditation programme, promoted high-quality childcare, developed five regional early years centres with a total 7m investment and tried to redefine day nurseries as socially responsible businesses.
The sector itself has also seen many changes. There has been rapid growth in the number of nurseries and also the size of provision. In the early 1990s in many local authority areas no more than 25 children were allowed on the premises, with no more than six under the age of two years. This led to the development of small childcare provision which was cosy and reminiscent of home, hence many being opened in converted houses.
Purpose-built premises were almost frowned upon as not being child-friendly.
It is a different market now and small nurseries are struggling to be sustainable. There has been a move toward big, purpose-built settings. Day nurseries were set up to meet parents' needs, but the Government is now leading the childcare market. It is difficult to deliver everything in the frame of the nursery day with lots of administration connected to the different funding streams.
We have witnessed a big rise in professionalism in the sector. But we can't grow professionals fast enough, because early years provision is developing so quickly. The speed of growth has seen a lot of people moving on and created a regular turnover of staff, which is a big challenge.
Among all this change, I feel proud that NDNA foresaw the importance of regionalising support. NDNA is at the forefront of this with our beacon regional centres, which share training and support for providers and offer childcare in disadvantaged areas and services for the community.
On wider issues, I feel we have managed to promote understanding that business strategies are fundamental to the sector. At first we could not talk about profit and viability, but we're now not afraid to discuss these issues and understand that sound business planning is essential if we are to meet the needs of parents.
Our socially responsible childcare paper published in November 2002 was far-reaching and before its time. NDNA recognised the change of culture in childcare that not just parents, but society as a whole, needs.
The paper showed that day nurseries are also community assets, many of them being developed by women for women. These attitudes have now been taken forward into children's centres.
It worries me that local authorities and schools may decide to provide the daycare for children's centres themselves and miss the opportunity to work with the day nursery sector, which has 20 years' experience of providing childcare. A challenge for us all now is to develop partnerships where all can share their talents and expertise for the benefit of children and families.
There is a climate change in the sector and we now need to assess the future in the light of the Government's ten-year strategy. The philosophy behind children's centres and integrated services is welcomed by the sector, but nursery providers are nervous about what role they have in it, and I feel the same. It is hard to plan for the future when you are not sure what the pattern of delivery of services will be.
I believe change is inevitable and during my time at NDNA, day nurseries have proved that they are very adaptable. The Government is shaping how childcare will be delivered, and day nurseries need to be part of that agenda. The ten-year strategy is going to be a watershed for both providers and the organisations that represent them.
Change at the top can be unsettling, but my successor, Purnima Tanuku, the NDNAboard and I have been planning the succession together so that it will be a seamless process. Purnima Tanuku has skills and experience in organisation structures, local authorities and regeneration agendas. She will be able to deliver a fresh approach and lead NDNA's continued growth.
Purnima Tanuku talks about taking up Rosemary's role I am taking on the role of chief executive at an exciting and challenging time, both for NDNA as an organisation and the sector as a whole.
I have a breadth of experience, having worked with public, private and charitable organisations. My background helps me to see where childcare fits into the wider picture.
In my last position as managing director of a charitable regeneration trust, I worked with local authorities, communities, businesses and schools. I worked in education, leisure and cultural services within local authorities and have experience of managing large multidisciplinary teams.
NDNA has grown rapidly during the past two years. Through our regional centres we are delivering childcare through working in partnership with other agencies. This growth means it is important to bring in new skills and experience and to build on the organisation's infrastructure. We have been busy recruiting and we have a strong management team.
The main issues that I will be addressing as chief executive include:
* Workforce development and training
* Affordability of childcare
* How the private sector can work in full partnership with local authorities.
The ten-year strategy can seem quite daunting, but I see it as an opportunity because it puts childcare at the top of the political agenda.
It will give us new opportunities. No one single partner can deliver the ten-year strategy, and we need to be building on existing partnerships and good practice and ensuring that we are looking at new ways of working together to maximise the skills and experience that the private and voluntary sectors can bring together.
NDNA will be running policy seminars to bring partnerships together and we are also holding regional seminars with local authorities.
I am keen to see childcare as an important part of the Government's regeneration plans. A lot of our members work in some of the country's most deprived areas. They are providing a service to the community and helping parents to return to work or training. Some of these nurseries are not making a profit, they are just making a living, and owners need further support.
I am optimistic about children's centres. The challenges are complex and it is not an easy landscape to plot, but some of our members have already been involved in discussions. We will keep knocking on the doors of local authorities to ensure that existing providers are fully engaged.
NDNA has demonstrated the success of working in partnership with local authorities, regional development agencies and Sure Start by opening five regional centres, with four more planned. They are a platform for NDNA to showcase best practice and provide a base for networking for our members.
The next phase of NDNA's development is the National Early Years Enterprise Centre and new headquarters, to be based in West Yorkshire. It is very exciting for us to be getting a new home and establishing an academy to support workforce development.
I fully agree with a graduate profession, but workplace learning is also very important. Young people working as nursery assistants, and existing staff, should be given the opportunity to advance their skills through training. This is an important part of raising the quality of the childcare profession because there is not going to be a graduate workforce overnight.
We are striving to continue supporting the provision of high-quality care and education for all children.
Rosemary Murphy and Purnima Tanuku spoke to Annette Rawstrone