We are all very familiar with the benefits of early learning and childcare. It promotes and improves positive outcomes for children, helping to ensure that all children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can reach their full potential. The earliest years of a child's life are crucial in their development, and regular access to good-quality childcare has a powerful effect in laying the foundations for success at school and later life.
We know that in an economic downturn, parents value high-quality childcare even more, as it supports employment and ensures that parents who can work have the opportunity to get into and stay in employment. And it also helps them balance work and family life by recognising that families quite rightly expect to be in control of the choices they make about their childcare.
This Government was the first to make early learning and childcare a priority in 1997 and the first to introduce a universal free entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, which has become the cornerstone of reforms. In the autumn we will begin the extension of the free childcare entitlement to 15 hours, something that has been very well received by parents and families. Virtually all four-year-olds and 95 per cent of three-year-olds benefit from some early learning because of the free entitlement offer. But I know that some of you are concerned about what it actually means for you and your settings - the various offers for different ages, the delivery of the entitlement and its impact on the sector.
Currently, all three- and four-year-olds are entitled to 12.5 hours of free early years provision for 38 weeks of the year. Every child is entitled to receive this for two years before they enter compulsory schooling. The entitlement will be extended to 15 hours a week, to be delivered more flexibly, by 2010, something which has been very well received by parents and families. To begin with, the extended entitlement will be available to the 25 per cent most disadvantaged children in every local authority, from September 2009. It will become a universal entitlement from September 2010.
Underpinning the free entitlement is a Code of Practice for local authorities, which sets out statutory guidance and the general principles that the DCSF expects all local authorities to follow in provision of the free entitlement.
As the free entitlement changes, this guidance needs to be revised, and I would like to invite Nursery World readers to help with this important update.
We will be launching an eight-week consultation process to seek the views of local authorities, parents, carers and, most importantly, providers from all parts of the sector, on key issues relevant to the successful delivery of the flexible extension to the free entitlement.
This important first step enables us to hear your thoughts and use them to shape the revisions to the existing guidance, and a draft of the new version will be issued for a further 12-week consultation in the autumn.
I would really welcome the input and thoughts of Nursery World readers, as many of you will be delivering this invaluable childcare and you are best placed to tell us how we can make this work, to the advantage of local authorities and practitioners as well as children and families.
- Beverley Hughes is the Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families
The consultation opens on Monday 11 May. Go to: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations.
