They have also backed the Government's commitment to create children's centres in every community, increase parental leave and undertake radical workforce reform. But question marks remain over under-threes provision and the real purpose of the 125m-a-year Transformation Fund.
In its response to the consultation, which closed on 24 February, the Daycare Trust said there was 'no mention of any follow-up to the pilot scheme extending part-time early education places to two-year-olds in 500 areas', and provision for this age group was crucial.
The Trust estimated the Government's aim to create a children's centre in every community - 3,500 across England - would mean one centre per 800 children under five and doubted this would be enough to help poorer families living in more affluent areas. 'To ensure a universal provision of early education and care, the total number of children's centres should be left open for review and extending this beyond 3,500 could be part of a second stage of the strategy beyond 2010,' it argued.
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