For many years, Kids' Clubs Network (KCN) has pushed and sometimes pulled for better support for out-of-school childcare. The amazing growth in the number of out-of-school clubs over recent years makes it hard to remember that nine years ago there were only a few hundred clubs. As we enter the last months of the New Opportunities Fund childcare programme there is still much to be achieved, with sustainability remaining a big issue for many clubs.
The Chancellor's spending announcements for the next three years set out in the Comprehensive Spending Review, will take Government spending on childcare to a new high. 1.5bn a year will be invested to create 250,000 new childcare places plus new Children's Centres for 300,000 children. Additional help for childcare will also be provided in areas of disadvantage. Within this, funding for childcare will more than double in real terms between 2002/03 and 2005/06. As yet it is unknown how much money will be allocated to out-of-school care, but more details are expected in the autumn budget.
The Comprehensive Spending Review also responded to one of the key recommendations in KCN's 2001 Childcare Commission - to establish Children's Centres. These centres will merge good quality childcare with early years' education, family support and health services and will act as a one-stop shop, signposting and co-ordinating activities. KCN will work to establish Children's Centres in 100 areas over the next three years. Our ambition is to work with up to 100 organisations, such as early years partnerships, health trusts and housing associations, to develop the centres. Funds will be raised to pay for development workers, who in turn will secure funding for each centre on a local basis.
KCN's blueprint for the future The Next Steps for School Age Childcare 2002 takes the development of provision into its next phase. Our goals are no less ambitious than previously. We argue for an increase to 20,000 out-of-school clubs by 2010 and importantly, proposing again, a costed strategy for how this can be achieved. The Next Steps looks at the challenges and opportunities over the next eight years. By 2010, there should be an out-of-school club attached to every primary school, offering safe, fun places for children at the heart of every community.
Making it happen
The ten next steps to lead to 20,000 out-of-school clubs by 2010: 1. Putting children and families at the heart of the community
By 2010, we would like every parent to find childcare at or near their local school, alongside health, education and support services, many operating as part of extended schools.
The Next Steps is asking national and local Government, business and community organisations to develop childcare in every community. Making the development of childcare and out-of-school provision a priority - nationally and locally.
2. Increasing the number of childcare places
KCN believes that there is enough demand for an out-of-school club to be attached to every primary school - over 20,000 clubs - creating places for over two million children. In addition, there is a need to establish new childcare places for disabled children and children in rural areas.
To achieve this, a new programme of pump priming start-up funds is needed to follow the current New Opportunities Fund programme. Funding will enable 500,000 new out-of-school childcare places to be set up, creating a total of two million childcare places for three- to 14-year-olds by 2010.
* Cost - 50m per year
3. Helping parents pay for out-of-school childcare
More parents of school-age children need help with their childcare costs. To achieve this, more parents need information about the Childcare Tax Credit and help in applying. It is therefore recommended that extensive promotional campaigns for parents are run through out-of-school clubs in every area, backed up by wider national television and local campaigns.
* Cost - in the region of 10m per year
4. Helping to sustain childcare in areas of disadvantage
Government needs to ensure childcare is available in disadvantaged areas if parents, especially lone parents, are to be able to work and become financially self sufficient and if families are going to move out of poverty. Many families in areas of disadvantage cannot afford childcare, even with the availability of the Childcare Tax Credit. Ongoing financial support for out-of-school clubs in areas of disadvantage is therefore crucial. There is likely to be funding from the Comprehensive Spending Review for this but details are yet to be announced.
* Cost - 65m per year
5. Supporting children and families at risk
Out-of-school childcare can provide a powerful intervention and preventative approach to support children and families in need when complemented by wider health, education, play and family support. For these reasons it is proposed that new models of integrated exemplar provision are developed for school-age children to establish 500 Children's Centres by 2010 - the Chancellor has already responded to this in the Comprehensive Spending Review (see Nursery World's special report Built to last? in this week's issue).
* Cost 50 million per year
6. Increasing access to schools
The involvement of schools in the delivery of a national infrastructure of out-of-school childcare is an important building block, which has the potential to be the catalyst for clubs developing at high speed and in every area. The Next Steps is proposing a major programme to develop childcare as part of a wider extended school. This would include information, guidance, co-ordination and incentives to schools.
* Cost - in the region of 10m per year
7. Developing provision for older children
The National Childcare Strategy has provided start-up funds for childcare for young people up to the age of 14, yet provision for older children has been slow to establish. There are a wide range of initiatives for older children but there is little co-ordination between them - either in policy or delivery. As a result provision remains uncoordinated and sporadic. The Next Steps is proposing that targets for this age range are set and that new models of development are piloted and developed.
* Cost - in the region of 40m per year (this may include co-ordination of existing resources).
8. Continuously improving out-of-school childcare
Out-of-school clubs are registered by OFSTED to daycare standards. Many others also have received quality assurance awards. Yet few clubs have access to the range of support and resources they need to help them continuously develop the service they provide. The Next Steps is proposing that a major development and support programme is established for out-of-school clubs, backed up by resource banks and training and complemented by quality grants for clubs.
* Cost - in the region of 30m per year.
9. Developing an out-of-school workforce
There are major challenges ahead with an expected increase required of over 60,000 new workers, more training and qualifications, and improved pay and conditions. The Next Steps is proposing a major expansion of training and professional development for club staff, supported through a central professional body and delivered through regional networks.
* Cost - 60m per year
10. Establishing a new support infrastructure for out-of-school childcare Out-of-school childcare is still in its infancy and as yet does not have a well-developed infrastructure to support its growth and development. The Next Steps is proposing that out-of-school networks are developed and financially supported to create a new infrastructure. The networks would play a crucial role in delivering quality, training and sustainability support. The Next Steps is proposing that 150 networks are established and supported.
* Cost in addition to existing infrastructure - 10m per year.
Call Kids' Clubs Network on 020 7512 2112 to order your free copy of The Next Steps for School Age Childcare 2002.