For the first time we will have national childcare provision, with the Childcare Bill giving local authorities the statutory responsibility to ensure that childcare for 0-14/16-year-olds is available locally to meet the needs of parents. In volume and reach terms the Bill is revolutionary, but to truly improve outcomes for children a focus on quality must be built in and be of equal priority as a rollout of places.
One area of concern in the Bill is a proposal to remove the statutory registration requirement for community-based childcare schemes for over-fives, relying instead on a voluntary register. This sends out the wrong message at this crucial time, undermining the workforce development strategy and countering the wider emphasis on quality in the Every Child Matters framework.
4Children and other organisations are pushing for an amendment but this proposal is revealing. Once again, the need for quality environments for school-age children is being questioned: 'Is it really so important how children spend their time outside school?' The answer, as all the evidence shows, is 'yes'.
Quality activities and care outside school are crucial to the social and emotional development of the child, to increasing educational achievement and to improving motivation and engagement. Ensuring that childcare and extended schools are inspirational places to be, led by trained and qualified staff capable of offering the level of care, support and opportunities they need, will be crucial. It is also what children and parents deserve.