I have experience of excellent childcare provision playing a vital role in changing lives and helping to transform neighbourhoods.
I am spoilt - at the end of my road stand two fantastic nurseries, Dorothy Gardner and Mary Paterson, and my constituency is blessed to have Maxilla, the prototype children's centre, the Portman and others. My son was cared for by an outstanding childminder, then a pre-school playgroup, followed by a top-quality nursery school.
Recent progress has been phenomenal thanks to the National Childcare Strategy's vision and a great deal of money, both on the 'supply side'
(education funding and places for three- and four-year-olds, Sure Start, the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative and children's centres) and tax credits.
Yet I am anxious about the extent to which access to services for parents who are home with their children have been squeezed by labour market demands. Both my local authorities have cut subsidies to community nurseries, leaving non-working parents in the cold. Grants to pre-school playgroups and other community groups have been frozen or cut.
Meanwhile, charges for working parents are so high that they are beyond the reach of anyone on middle or lower incomes, beyond what the childcare tax credit covers. Thankfully, sustainability grants are providing some relief, but is this a long-term solution?
Finally, parents living just beyond Sure Start/children's centre borders are frustrated that while their circumstances may be identical to their neighbours, they are not getting the same support. I see no sign of this problem being properly addressed.
My recent survey of parents confirmed these issues. Parents in Sure Start areas are very positive, but many are perplexed and depressed by the battles we are fighting against cuts and closures. Can you blame them?
