Nursery World - Exclusive: The Minister's View - Putting you in charge of early years services

It's hard to switch on the television or open a newspaper at the moment without hearing or seeing the reality of difficult funding decisions being faced by local authorities. As both a Minister and a constituency MP, I have spoken to many parents and professionals about their local children's centre services and it's heartening that people value these services so highly.

Let me say once more that this Government is committed to the early years. We have ensured there is enough money in the system through the new Early Intervention Grant (EIG) to retain the network of children's centres and there is already a Bill in Parliament which will make a reality of our commitment to extend free early education to all disadvantaged two-year-olds.

As you know, this Government has an overall vision for public services that are locally led and locally accountable. This is no less true for the early years. That means we need to find the best ways to put people like you in charge. You have witnessed - and in many cases led and shaped - huge changes to early learning and care, and the expectations of parents and the public. But this has taken place in the context of significant central Government prescription. We now want to approach things differently and work more closely with you to ensure your knowledge and expertise informs us from the start.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included