With all the focus of the nation and beyond on the EU Referendum of late, it is perhaps no surprise that little progress has been made on the early years policy front.
Now we know the result - to leave - if not yet the ramifications of the decision for the childcare sector.
What is perhaps most immediately concerning is whether fall-out from the referendum will lead to yet more delays in tackling the queue of early years matters waiting for attention.
The early years funding review for the 30 hours free childcare has still not appeared, although most rates for the pilots have at least been determined. It is beginning to look as though time will be very tight to get everything finished to meet September 2017 implementation of this major policy.
The Level 3 practitioner recruitment crisis caused by the GCSE maths and English stipulation is probably the biggest headache for nursery leaders, and here there is hope that the Workforce Strategy will be out as planned in the autumn and even that there could be revisions on the GCSE front. It would be very helpful if this is not put back.
We haven’t even had the statutory changes needed to the Early Years Foundation Stage for paediatric first aid training to be mandatory for practitioners qualifying from this September. And as for the long-promised children’s centre consultation and the obesity strategy…
All of these seem hugely important, indeed vital, to us, but may not be the first priority for a government and opposition reeling and riven in the aftermath of referendum and probably undergoing a reshuffle too.