I applaud this Government for recognising the importance to society of ending child poverty and tackling the inequality at its roots. Expanding and improving childcare services, so long neglected in Britain, is central to these objectives. The current consultation on the Childcare Bill offers the prospect of a universal childcare system at long last.
However, as part of the plan, the DfES is proposing to remove the legal requirement for non-school based, group childcare for six- and seven-year-olds to be registered and inspected. This would be damaging for children, undermine parents' confidence and put at risk the strides made to enhance the status and standards of the childcare sector. Rather than simplifying the system, it would cause confusion while overshadowing the major step forward the rest of the Bill will represent.
While some providers will use the proposed voluntary Ofsted Childcare Register, settings for this age group will be able to operate with virtually no checks on the quality of care and children's welfare. Surely we must value our children more than that? We should be entrenching and extending quality standards, not abandoning them.
Legal standards and Ofsted inspections have helped parents to feel comfortable using childcare. The danger is that these become sink services used by families with less money and fewer choices - exactly the people the Government says it wants to help most.
This measure would be a serious setback, putting downward pressure on pay and qualifications (counter to the aspirations of the Government's own Workforce Strategy). Childcare at its best is transformational - for children, families and communities. We must ensure this Bill is the real childcare revolution our children need it to be.
* The Childcare Bill is at www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations. The deadline for responses is 7 October 2005.
