In its response to the Government's Investors in Childcare (IiC) consultation, the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) accused the Department for Education and Skills of using a 'carrot and stick' approach and of foisting 'another new initiative on an already overburdened sector'.
The Government plans to introduce the star system this autumn. Providers will be awarded one to three stars based on three elements - the result of Ofsted inspections, accreditation by an approved quality assurance scheme and the qualifications of providers.
But the NDNA argued that if the IiC is to award points partly based on the outcomes of Ofsted inspections, 'then the scheme cannot be launched before this information is available, which will be at least April 2004'. It called on the Government to give Ofsted time to introduce the national standards and allow EYDCPs to work towards their quality assurance targets.
The Professional Association of Nursery Nurses echoed this criticism, saying it feared a star rating system would lead to 'league tables' that did not take into account providers' social intake or funding levels.
Margaret Lochrie, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said that while it supported the idea of quality assurance, the proposals 'missed one important aspect' - that the ratings should reflect the breadth of services as well as quality.
Eva Lloyd, chief executive of the National Early Years Network, feared the scheme would add to inequality in provision. She said the Government had hinted that the IiC proposals would be implemented regardless of the criticisms emerging during the consultation process. 'We want to see real investment to improve staff's employment conditions. This is the best means to attain quality,' Ms Lloyd said.
But support for the scheme came from the National Childminding Association (NCMA) and the Kids' Clubs Network (KCN). NCMA chief executive Gill Haynes said she looked forward to working with the DfES to implement the scheme's objectives 'to provide parents with a guide to the quality of care'.
KCN acting director of development David Tee said 'an easy-to-understand way of assessing the level of quality is good for parents and providers'.