Over the past few months, the risk of deregulation in the childcare sector in England has been growing. The price for families is eye-watering. The sector is also at breaking point. Costs have soared, staff vacancies are at an all-time high, and the paltry funding for the 15- and 30-hour schemes is making high-quality provision increasingly hard to deliver. Meanwhile, I don’t suppose the Treasury is happy either. The complex patchwork of funding is, they say, costing £4 billion a year (a figure disputed by the Early Years Alliance). The funding has not delivered on reducing the attainment gap, nor making childcare affordable.
So, time for some radical thinking, perhaps. Cue the economic and policy think-tanks’ reports. Deregulation has a voice and is finding favour. It started with the proposed increase in adult-child ratios for two- to three-year-olds and a review of the EYE qualification. But where will it end? What if the sector were freed from the shackle of government interference? Providers could choose ratios, the qualification level of staff and how much space is needed. The role of Ofsted could be reduced, or even rendered obsolete if the EYFS were eliminated. After all, parents are the consumers and regulation is a barrier to free choice. So, what’s not to like?
Plenty. I can’t see any mention of what is best for children. The ones with no voice and so no vote. The proposed changes to ratios will not result in increased interactions and cuddles with adults. The very things that make a difference to a child’s life chances. Nor will they provide more opportunities for play, as the easiest way to manage large groups of children is to keep them in spaces that are ultra-safe and involved in regimented activities. So much for the importance of stimulation in developing neural connections!
But let’s not forget the workforce. Having more children and, by implication, less time to do a good job is stressful but also demoralising.
Of course, it is all about money. We have the second-highest childcare costs in the world because while the Government has fine words to say about the importance of early years, it is not prepared to pay the price for investing in children’s futures. Yes, we do need radical thinking. The situation as it stands cannot carry on. We need a comprehensive package that focuses solely on what is best for children. Yes, it will be expensive, but after all, a child’s future should be priceless.