At last the national standards for daycare have been published - creeping out into the world in the huge shadow of the general election announcement the same day (see News, page 4). A quick glance past the brightly-coloured covers of the five booklets reveals that little has changed from the draft proposals. A requirement for managers of all settings - full daycare, sessional, creches, and out-of-school clubs - to have two years' experience has been added, however. This is something that our 'Stop the Drop' campaign has called for, and it rules out the prospect of newly-qualified 18-year-olds in charge of nurseries.
At last the national standards for daycare have been published - creeping out into the world in the huge shadow of the general election announcement the same day (see News, page 4). A quick glance past the brightly-coloured covers of the five booklets reveals that little has changed from the draft proposals.
A requirement for managers of all settings - full daycare, sessional, creches, and out-of-school clubs - to have two years' experience has been added, however. This is something that our 'Stop the Drop' campaign has called for, and it rules out the prospect of newly-qualified 18-year-olds in charge of nurseries.
Two major anomalies remain, however. No attempt has been made to bring the independent schools sector under the regulations, which, given the rising numbers of two-and three-year-olds attending them, is an unforgivable waste of opportunity. And the much-loathed rule that childminders can smack and smoke with parents' permission remains, sticking out like a sore thumb when read with the requirements for other forms of provision.
Nursery World will be reporting further on the standards' implications for daycare providers in coming weeks, so don't miss a single issue.
