with the Family and Childcare Trust reflecting on what we have all
learned in the decade since the 2004 childcare strategy about the best
way forward.
What struck me most about the discussion was that the world of people who care about the life chances of children has become polarised: the stay-at-home mums against the working mums. The former is in favour of the married tax allowance and a home care allowance, while the latter wants greater investment in childcare and more flexible working. What intrigued me was how we got here when all the evidence indicates that both parental care and formal care matter.
The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education study, which influenced large parts of the 2004 strategy, was unambiguous about the importance of children's home learning environment for their development. The study showed that what parents do at home has the greatest influence on children's outcomes in the early years and that a good home learning environment can be found across all income groups.
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