Next Steps for Early Learning and Childcare: Building on the Ten-YearStrategy says the Government will look at how to enable parents to 'rollover' free provision for two-year-olds to cover three- andfour-year-olds in the long term.
Last month the Government said it would extend places for two-year-oldsfrom pilot areas to 15 per cent of the most disadvantaged families inevery local authority area (News, 22 January).
The Government has also said it plans to extend the free offer for alltwo-year-olds 'stage by stage'.
Saying that it recognises that the free offer needs to become moreflexible so that parents 'have more choices about when to take it up,not just how many hours they use', the Government plans to work withlocal authorities and providers so parents can stretch the 38-week offerover a whole year (see box.)
Pathfinder local authorities are currently testing different models offlexibility, which the Government says will help develop the roll-out ofthe 15-hour offer to all councils in 2010.
According to an evaluation of the pathfinder, to be published later thisyear, offering the full 15 hours over a minimum of three days has provedpopular.
The strategy document says that in the long term, once places areavailable for all two-year-olds, parents will be able to choose whetherto take up the free hours when their child is two or transfer part ofthem to have more free hours when their child is three and four.
But it adds, 'However, to support child development we will ensure aminimum number of hours are non-transferable, in line with evidencewhich is clear about the benefits of some provision fortwo-year-olds.'
The document also sets out more plans to upskill the workforce,including making a relevant level 3 qualification the minimumrequirement for childcare workers, and a pilot programme to attract thebest graduates into the sector.
There is also a plan for local authorities to provide more childcare andactivities for five- to 14-year-olds.
- See Analysis, page 10, for the strategy update's key points
CASE STUDY GREENWICH: THE FUTURE OF THE FREE ENTITLEMENT
A number of providers open for 48 to 51 weeks a year so that parents canstretch the offer to use their hours without distinguishing betweenterm-time and holiday periods.
Quaggy Children's Centre in Greenwich, London, is run by voluntaryprovider Quaggy Development Trust and has a 45-place nursery.
Centre deputy manager Joanna Gosling said that using the free offer thisway helped make paying for childcare more straightforward for parentswho use hours on top of their free entitlement.
She said, 'Very few of our parents use term-time-only childcare.Term-time-only can be very confusing for parents and harder to budgetfor, especially if they are on a low income. If they're on tax creditsit would mean that their payments and weekly childcare fees would changein the holidays. It's also much easier for us to manage.'
The entitlement is converted into an offer of 570 hours (38 weeks x 15hours).
Examples given to providers and parents are:
- 11 hours per week over 51 weeks
- 12 hours per week over 47 weeks
- 13.5 hours a week over 42 weeks
The local authority said that 38 of its PVI providers are offeringparents the option to take 15 hours over two, three or four days, andthat 275 children are now using the entitlement this way.
HOW DOES THE NEW CHILDCARE STRATEGY MEASURE UP?
National Day Nurseries Association
(On making the free offer more flexible) 'It is absolutely vital thatlocal authorities work with childcare providers to make this a realityand that working in this way is sustainable ... We are also veryinterested in ways the Government will be piloting better access tochildcare tax credits to support improved choice and affordability, andwe hope this includes exploring a system of direct payments tonurseries.'
National Childminding Association
'We are particularly pleased that the strategy makes clear that theGovernment wants to develop childminding networks to enable morechildminders to deliver the free early years entitlement. We know that40 per cent of our members already hold a relevant level 3qualification. The strategy's focus on childminding networks will be keyto supporting more childminders to achieve level 3.'
Pre-School Learning Alliance
'In these uncertain financial times the Government may need to go theextra mile to overcome the strains of providers operating in arestricted cash flow market and the potential for decline in fulldaycare as unemployment rises. The report calls for increasedflexibility and we very much support this. However, increasingflexibility will cost more to providers and will need adequate financingto ensure that hard-pressed providers do not bear the brunt ofimplementation.'
Daycare Trust
Piloting '100 per cent rather than 80 per cent of the costs of childcarethrough tax credits is a huge step forward. This is something we havelong called for. We are confident that done properly, this measure willincrease take-up of tax credits.'
4Children
'High-quality childcare for school-aged children must now become the newpriority for Government if it is to succeed in protecting millions ofchildren from the proven dangers of poverty.'