Nursery World - Frame work

Childcarers have welcomed new legislation that would place strict responsibilities on local authorities, but expressed dismay at measures to ease regulations and funding elsewhere. Simon Vevers reports Alegal requirement that local authorities must provide enough childcare places for working families and make plans for the integration of care and education into a single quality framework have been broadly welcomed by childcare organisations and providers.

Alegal requirement that local authorities must provide enough childcare places for working families and make plans for the integration of care and education into a single quality framework have been broadly welcomed by childcare organisations and providers.

The proposals are at the heart of the Childcare Bill consultation, which also includes plans to give parents more advice and sets targets to improve the well-being of under-fives and reduce the divide between rich and poor.

Such uncontroversial measures are likely to find a consensus among most people in the sector.

But no sooner had leading members of childcare organisations begun absorbing the document than concerns were being expressed over plans to lift the registration requirement for group childcare for over-fives not on a school site. There is some consternation, too, that the Government now believes that money spent on Investors in Children may be better invested elsewhere.

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