As Nursery World goes to press, we are just one week from election day, with all the ramifications that will have for the future of the country and the early years sector in particular.
There has been much discussion about the lack of engagement with politics among large sections of the electorate, but those working in childcare and early years education are certainly engaged. The focus of all the main parties on childcare means that it would be hard to feel unaffected!
We asked a selection of early years professionals to tell us who they will be voting for and why, and you can read their thoughts here.
We also asked Ceeda to cost up the various party pledges on extending 'free' childcare hours, taking into account current underfunding as well as extra hours, and this makes fascinating reading. Both Conservatives and Lib-Dems seem to have under-estimated the cost of elements of their promises, while Labour's 25 hours appears to be about right, but only on current rates, leaving providers out of pocket still.
Meanwhile, the Tories have committed to a review of the funding rates for the free entitlement, and the Lib-Dems have slipped into a BBC interview that they will look at a review (but not officially announced this). This leaves Labour as the only one of the trio to seemingly ignore this long-standing concern of the sector, saying only that their proposal is properly funded and deliverable. This could be a stance that will backfire on Labour in terms of early years votes, even if many parents may not notice the omission.
And finally, experts from Early Education have signed an open letter calling for the next government to put the emphasis on raising quality rather than hours.
There's a lot to play for.