The six-week consultation period, which ended on 31 August, invited practitioners to put forward their ideas about how to make childcare more affordable and accessible, focusing on three main themes:
Early years organisations identified local authorities' interpretation of the free entitlement and the delivery of funding as regulations that burden childcare providers unnecessarily, theme two of the consultation.
In its response, the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) raised concerns over the variations in funding and ways of accessing it across different local authorities, which it claims is particularly burdensome for nursery chains with settings across the country.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the NDNA, said, 'Some local authorities "gold plate" free-entitlement contracts, adding to the national guidelines which providers must meet. This adds an extra burden on providers and is particularly difficult for medium-sized providers who operate in more than one local authority.'
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here