The Government's 'cross-cutting' review of childcare policy which has finally been published makes for fascinating reading (see News, page 4), not least for the acknowledgement that 'important challenges' remain and that the Government is 'not getting the full value of the substantial investment it is making in childcare and early years services'. Among the problems cited for the National Childcare Strategy not delivering all that was planned are market failure because new provision will not be sustainable, particularly in the disadvantaged areas where it is most needed; the complex and unco-ordinated nature of funding streams; and the recruitment crisis, which means that many providers cannot find the staff they need to expand and cannot pay more attractive wages to draw people in.
The Government's 'cross-cutting' review of childcare policy which has finally been published makes for fascinating reading (see News, page 4), not least for the acknowledgement that 'important challenges' remain and that the Government is 'not getting the full value of the substantial investment it is making in childcare and early years services'.
Among the problems cited for the National Childcare Strategy not delivering all that was planned are market failure because new provision will not be sustainable, particularly in the disadvantaged areas where it is most needed; the complex and unco-ordinated nature of funding streams; and the recruitment crisis, which means that many providers cannot find the staff they need to expand and cannot pay more attractive wages to draw people in.
Yet all these 'challenges' have been predicted and then bemoaned by those in the early years sector as the National Childcare Strategy has unrolled. Some of the solutions proposed by the review include subsidy structures and sustainability grants - likely to maintain the complications of the system and to continue to avoid the need for more direct public funding of provision if we are really to give children the universal, high-quality care needed.
