Nursery World - Editor's view (366)

There is growing unease in the private nursery sector about their lack of involvement in the development of children's centres. Some providers are finding that local authority-funded centres are opening on their doorstep with no consultation - centres that are able to offer lower fees to parents and higher wages to staff, as well as not having to pay business rates. Despite assurances from the Department for Education and Skills that the private and voluntary sectors' contribution to the National Childcare Strategy is valued, it is increasingly obvious that extended schools are seen as the way forward for providing a children's centre in every community. No private providers have so far been given children's centre status.

Despite assurances from the Department for Education and Skills that the private and voluntary sectors' contribution to the National Childcare Strategy is valued, it is increasingly obvious that extended schools are seen as the way forward for providing a children's centre in every community. No private providers have so far been given children's centre status.

Local authorities are supposed to consider existing provision when planning development of children's services in their area, but in a growing number of instances this is not happening. Knowsley has refused to allow one private nursery to take the nursery education grant because it wants parents to take up maintained sector places (see News, page 4). And in our Scottish edition we look at how East Dunbartonshire private nurseries are under threat from a new local authority centre that has opened near to their premises (see page 4).

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