IiC has been set up by the Sure Start Unit at the Department for Education and Skills to raise standards in childcare and inform parents about provision.
Margaret Hodge, minister for children, announced the names of the 25 successful schemes at the Daycare Trust's annual conference in London on Tuesday. Organisations to have their schemes endorsed include the National Day Nurseries Association, the National Childminding Association, the Kids'
Clubs Network, and 17 local authorities.
There are more than 60 schemes in the early years sector, and an independent panel of experts assessed applications from more than 40 schemes. The announcement, which was initially expected at the end of June, was delayed because a number of schemes were asked to re-submit evidence to the panel.
Panel chair Sue Owen, head of the Early Childhood Unit at the National Children's Bureau, said the number of schemes on offer showed there was 'a great deal of interest in using quality assurance processes to support higher standards within individual settings'. She added that 'a Government-approved kitemark like this is greatly valued as a way of standardising requirements being made of settings and providing a benchmark for parents'.
One of the schemes to be endorsed is Quality Counts, first piloted by the NDNA in 2001. NDNA chief executive Rosemary Murphy said that more day nurseries worked towards Quality Counts than any other quality assurance scheme in the sector.
The NCMA's Quality First, the first nationally recognised quality assurance scheme for childminders, was also endorsed, as was the Kids' Clubs Network's scheme for out-of-school clubs, Aiming High. KCN chief executive Anne Longfield said that with almost 10,000 out-of-school clubs, Aiming High provided 'a trusted assurance scheme to meet their demands'.
A scheme set up by Leeds city council's early years service has also been granted IiC status. Around 250 early years providers in the city are currently working towards it.
the Leeds Quality Assurance scheme. Sunbeams, a private 62-place nursery in Leeds, was the first provider to receive the award.