By Sue Owen, director of the Early Childhood Unit at the National Children's Bureau
Revolution was in the air this month - well, the word 'revolution', anyway.
The long-awaited ten-year childcare strategy was hailed by many, including children's minister Margaret Hodge, as revolutionary and historic. So why the big words?
There are radical elements in the new strategy, and one is the clear commitment to quality. Treasury officials admitted that at last 'the scales have fallen from our eyes' on the importance of quality; the strategy includes a considered approach to improving and ensuring quality for children. An example is the commitment to more one-to-one care for babies, both through financial support for parents to stay at home and through an investment in more childminding networks.
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