In the light of this huge amount, then, it is somewhat disappointing that over the period under scrutiny, the net gain in pre-school places is relatively small. Numbers of childminders, playgroups and nursery schools have fallen, sustainability of new provision is a huge problem, recruitment is another major headache, and the private sector that has been encouraged with a raft of short-term initiatives is about to be threatened by a shift in focus to school-based provision.
Yes, a lot has happened since the National Childcare Strategy began, but the NAO report highlights and pulls together how much further there is to go. We'll be giving more detail and analysis of the report, and evaluating how much value for money that 14 billion has given, in next week's issue.
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