Nursery World - Free entitlement debated

The National Day Nurseries Association is calling for daycare providers to be properly funded to deliver the free early years entitlement through a variety of means, and wants to see a major review of the costs involved. The NDNA's new report, Development of the market: a childcare vision for day nurseries, launched at a round-table event at the House of Commons last week, anticipates the Government's comprehensive spending review.

The NDNA's new report, Development of the market: a childcare vision for day nurseries, launched at a round-table event at the House of Commons last week, anticipates the Government's comprehensive spending review.

At the event, Paul Brosnan, managing director of Casterbridge Care and Education, queried how nurseries were going to move forward when funding for the free entitlement fell so far short of the real costs.

Nathan Archer, of the Children's House consultanc, called for a stronger mechanism to ensure that local authorities engaged with the PVI sector.

Sure Start director Sheila Scales said the Government's 3bn investment in the sector was enough to cover childcare costs at the front line, but that distribution issues needed to be tackled. Commenting on the funding rules in the revised Code of Practice, she said, 'The Government was surprised at how top-up fees had been operating, which was why the drafting had to be changed.'

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