Alan Bentley, chairman and chief executive of the Childcare Corporation, which invests in nursery businesses and has a management contract with nursery chain Busy Bees, quoted figures from market researchers Key Note projecting a 50 per cent growth for day nurseries from 1999 to 2003. This would follow on from the expansion seen between 1993 and 1998, when the number of day nursery places soared by 56.4 per cent.
However, Mr Bentley said that childcare on demand was simply a 'cost too far' for any government, and that all ministers could realistically do was 'make a meaningful contribution to the childcare requirements of those on very low income'. He cited as an example the Government's childcare tax credit, which is estimated to provide up to 275m in the year 2000/01. By contrast, the total amount parents spent on all forms of childcare, according to Key Note, was an estimated 2.7bn for 1998.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
