In England, 205 childcare projects will receive funding, including the Essex Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP), which has received more than 200,000 to create 270 places for children between the ages of four and 14, including provision in breakfast and after-school clubs, and weekend and holiday places.
Andrea Dalton of the Kids' Club Network, part of the Essex EYDCP, said, 'We applied for ten bids and all were successful.' Of the 270 places awarded in Essex, 124 will go to children in deprived areas. Another Essex project to benefit is the Rodings and Easters pre-school scheme. Laura Wakefield of the Easters scheme, said, 'The new pre-school will enable local families to access childcare and education on their doorsteps in a rural area with no public transport.'
Scotland will gain 2,000 new childcare places. A joint initiative between the Fife Childcare Partnership and the Royal National Institute for the Blind will create 120 new places for children with profound special needs. Fife council's childcare co-ordinator, Yvonne Crombie, said, 'This award will enable parents of children with special needs to access employment or education, assured in the knowledge that their children are having fun in a safe and stimulating environment.'
The New Opportunities Fund is a lottery good causes distributor that gives money to health, education and environment projects. To date it has awarded 111m to childcare projects across the UK, including out-of-school hours learning and childcare initiatives.