In this week's issue, we report on the Scottish Executive findings that private nurseries are having severe difficulties recruiting staff, with vacancies remaining unfilled for long periods because of competition from state settings (see News, page 4) and because they can't meet wage demands.
At the other end of the UK, staff in Islington council's early years centres are threatening to strike if regrading of their jobs does not go ahead (see News, page 8).
The Women and Work Commission repo rt released this week found that the UK's gender pay gap was the worst in Europe. Its recommendations seem to be to encourage females into higher- paying, traditionally male sectors such as engineering. But what happens then to the caring professions - to childcare? Surely the priority should be to ensure that the traditionally female occupations are paid fairly and equivalently. That will do more to ensure that gender barriers break down, the pay gap closes and children get the service they need.