The Government has said that effective partnerships between local authorities and private providers are vital to meeting children's centre targets. But it has been criticised by day nurseries for simply paying lip service to the idea of partnership working.
Patricia Jackson, head of regional development for the NDNA said, 'Private nurseries generally support the concept of integrated services and want to get involved. However, the roll- out of children's centres is a source of concern. The children's centre agenda is huge and there is great potential for private providers to get involved.'
Sure Start regional teams are working with the NDNA to identify 25 local authorities to take part in network meetings in London, the East Midlands, the West Midlands, the North West and the North East.
The result will be a support kit of action plans for local authorities and day nurseries.
Ms Jackson said, 'I see our networks as a conduit to sharing good practice and good partnership arrangements. One local authority might have developed a robust mapping and audit scheme which could be shared with others.'
The London borough of Ealing has received advice from the NDNA on how to develop a tendering process fully inclusive of the private sector.
Jeff Parkinson, children's services manager, said, 'We contacted the NDNA because we are building a number of children's centres and were thinking of tendering out the nursery provision. The NDNA was able to help us, from wording the advert to a pre-qualification questionnaire.'
John Woodward, director of nursery chain Busy Bees, said there was 'very little knowledge' among the private sector and local authorities on how to work together and called the NDNA programme 'a step in the right direction'.
He added, 'I think the Government believes that we have to develop partnerships, and the vast majority of private childcare providers welcome it, but very few of them know what to do. I think the Government is listening more than it ever did. If both sides commit to a dialogue and get on with it, it's a very exciting opportunity.'