There cannot be a private provider in the country who did not identify with the points raised in 'Feeling the Squeeze' by Simon Vevers (Nursery World, 29 July). I attended a conference in September at which you, Ms Hodge, gave the keynote speech, and I was pleased to hear you say that you were seeking a genuine partnership with private providers.
My concern is that the Government directive for developing childcare provision through neighbourhood nurseries does not give clear guidance to local authorities regarding communication, liaison and investment in and with existing providers.
The starting point for proposed provision should be to assess what is already in place and running well. It would be prudent to see if the new initiatives could tap into this. Many existing providers have spaces within their nurseries that could be given to low- income earners if some investment was made by the local Sure Start team.
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